On June 23, 2000, Chicken Run was launched on the big screen and became an international sensation. With over $224 million in box office revenue, it continues to be the most profitable stop-motion film ever made and is a beloved family film all around the world. The iconic chicken gang, along with the well-known pair Wallace and Gromit, were created by Bristol, United Kingdom-based Aardman Animation and served as the studio’s major break into the international scene. Having said that, it is unexpected to discover that, up to this point, Chicken Run didn’t truly inspire a full-fledged franchise; neither sequels nor spin-offs have been released. The much anticipated Chicken Run sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, is finally coming out after more than 20 years.
Release date of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
The release date of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is set for December 15, 2023. Following the announcement in April 2018 of the sequel’s confirmation, there has been a flurry of speculation and anticipation around the release date. Of course, the worldwide epidemic dealt a serious blow to the film business, forcing the postponement of several eagerly awaited films, Dawn of the Nugget included.
Plot of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
One of the best ensemble voice casts in British animation history was included in the first Chicken Run. The cast of the movie, which included Mel Gibson, Timothy Spall, Phil Daniels, Julia Sawalha, and Absolutely Fabulous, naturally received a lot of praise from critics and the general public. For the upcoming movie, Sawalha and Gibson will not be playing Ginger and Rocky again; instead, Thandiwe Newton (Westworld) and Zachary Levi (Shazam!) will play the corresponding parts. Daniel Mays (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) will voice Fetcher, replacing Daniels, and Romesh Ranganathan (Cinderella) will voice Nick, replacing Spall. Furthermore, David Bradley, who plays Pinocchio in Guillermo del Toro, will succeed the late Benjamin Whitlow in the role of Fowler.
But Bunty, Babs, and Mac will all return, played by Imelda Staunton (The Crown), Jane Horrocks (Corpse Bride), and Lynn Ferguson (No Angels).
Newcomer Josie Sedgwick-Davies as Frizzle, Nick Mohammed from Ted Lasso as Dr. Fry, and breakout star Bella Ramsey from The Last of Us as Molly are among the cast members who will be lending their voices to new characters in the movie.
Naturally, this is just a taste of the excellent performance throughout the movie; the casting process’s efforts suggest how much of a treat this sequel is going to be. After 20 years of admiring some of the greatest stop-motion art ever created, the storyline summary revealed with this cast list just serves to reassure fans that their wait however long it may have been was well worthwhile. It’s fair to say that we are eagerly awaiting Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and that the excitement is building.
Great sequels will all flow naturally from their predecessors. It appears that Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget won’t be any different. This is the official movie storyline summary:
Ginger has finally realised her goal of a calm island refuge for the entire flock, away from the perils of the human world, after pulling off a daring escape from Tweedy’s farm. After Ginger and Rocky have a child named Molly, Ginger’s happy ending appears to be complete. However, on the mainland, a fresh and dire threat confronts the whole chicken species. This time, Ginger and her group are breaking in, even if it means jeopardizing their own hard-earned freedom.
The thrilling storyline reminiscent of the original film’s theft will be welcomed back by fans in the sequel. It sounds like Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will be a lot of fun for both people who enjoy the original and anyone who may not have watched it, based on the intriguing plot. Read about our visit to the set of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget to learn more about the making of this much-anticipated sequel.
Production
In April 2018, it was revealed that Aardman Animations, Studio Canal, and Pathé were producing a Chicken Run sequel.
DreamWorks Animation was not involved since, following the 2006 release of Flushed Away, they severed their relationship with Aardman.
Paul Kewley produced, under the direction of Sam Fell.
The sequel was written by the original authors of Chicken Run, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell.
Executive producers include Peter Lord and David Sproxton, co-founders of Aardman.
The movie’s pre-production officially started on October 16, 2019. Mel Gibson was not requested to reprise his role as Rocky, according to Aardman More information on the sequel, which picks up after the original movie’s conclusion, when the hens have made their new safe haven, was made public by Fell in June 2020. Molly, Ginger, and Rocky’s chick starts to outgrow the space right as news of a fresh danger to the hens reaches the neighbourhood. The first film’s Ginger, played by Julia Sawalha, confirmed Aardman’s plan to replace her in July 2020, claiming her voice now sounded too elderly and declaring, “I have officially been plucked, stuffed & roasted.” There was a lot of backlashes over the decision, with some people calling it outdated.
Early in 2021, principal photography got underway. In January 2022, Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, and Lynn Ferguson returned to their roles as Babs, Bunty, and Mac from the first film, with the movie’s title revealed as Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. Zachary Levi, Thandiwe Newton, David Bradley, Romesh Ranganathan, and Daniel Mays replaced Gibson, Sawalha, Benjamin Whitlow, Timothy Spall, and Phil Daniels as the voices of Rocky, Ginger, Fowler, Nick, and Fetcher. Three new characters were voiced by Bella Ramsey, Nick Mohammed, and Josie Sedgwick-Davies, respectively: Molly, Dr. Fry, and Frizzle. It was announced in June 2023 that Harry Gregson-Williams, a member of the first film’s composition team, would return to write the sequel.
In September 2023, it was revealed that Peter Serafinowicz would be joining the cast as Reginald Smith, a “slightly puzzled businessman,” and that Miranda Richardson would be reprising her role as Mrs. Tweedy’s voice.
