Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget First Look: Zachary Levi Replaces Mel Gibson In Long-Awaited Sequel
The day has come: a "Chicken Run" sequel is finally, officially coming to fruition — so rejoice, in all your childhood splendor. The new installment comes courtesy of Netflix in a partnership with Aardman Animation, who are the big brains behind the original.
The new partnership began in 2021 when the two companies joined forces to release the acclaimed musical short "Robin Robin." It was the subject of critical acclaim, and even garnered attention on the BAFTA longlist and the Oscars shortlist. Considering the success of their first project, the two companies have decided to team up on the long-awaited sequel, "Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget."
"Dawn of the Nugget" will follow the same flock of chickens from the 2000 movie while incorporating a mix of new voices and new characters. Joining the cast will be "Westworld" star Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi as leading power couple Ginger and Rocky, replacing Julie Sawalha and Mel Gibson, respectively. The lovebirds have a daughter named Molly in the sequel, who is described as "a true chick-off-the-old-block," according to Collider. She will be voiced by "Game of Thrones" alum Bella Ramsey.
A first image from the sequel has also been released, which appears to feature Ginger, Rocky, and a glimpse of their newborn cutie.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget First Look
Believe it or not, the first film is the highest grossing stop-motion animation film of all time — possibly shocking to some, I know I thought "Nightmare Before Christmas" would surely hold that title — and as a result of the comedy's success, a sequel has been a longtime dream for the Aardman team.
According to Collider, the studio revealed that they were waiting for "the right story and the right partner" for quite some time — and they felt their partnership with Netflix would be the best way to "bring back our poultry heroes" following the "Robin Robin" success.
The original "Chicken Run" movie tells the story of a flock of chickens who will stop at nothing to escape their ill-fated end at a poultry farm. While farmer couple Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy intend to put the chickens on their dinner table, Ginger the chicken and Rocky the rooster use their smarts and intuition to organize an escape plan for their entire herd. The second film will pick up after that, according to the official synopsis:
Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy's farm, Ginger has finally found her dream – a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, Ginger's happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk – this time, they're breaking in!
"Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget" will premiere exclusively on Netflix in 2023.