Chicken Run Dawn of the Nugget
Film Details:
Directed by Sam Fell, “Chicken Run Dawn of the Nugget” is a 2023 British stop-motion animated comedy. The screenplay is crafted by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell, and Rachel Tunnard, based on an original story by Kirkpatrick and O’Farrell. This movie, a sequel to the beloved “Chicken Run” (2000), is brought to life by Aardman Animations and features an ensemble voice cast including Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Romesh Ranganathan, David Bradley, Daniel Mays, Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, Josie Sedgwick-Davies, Nick Mohammed, and Miranda Richardson.
Release Details:
The world premiere of “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” took place at the 67th London Film Festival on October 14, 2023. However, due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, none of the cast attended the premiere. Instead, the film’s characters graced the red carpet in their stead. Following its premiere, the movie was made available on Netflix starting December 15, 2023. Prior to its release, a preview was showcased at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 11, 2023. Netflix secured the global distribution rights, except for China.
Production Insights:
Reports of a sequel to “Chicken Run” surfaced in April 2018, with Aardman Animations, StudioCanal, and Pathé joining forces for production. Notably, DreamWorks Animation was not involved due to their prior separation from Aardman after “Flushed Away” in 2006. Directed by Sam Fell and produced by Paul Kewley, the sequel saw the return of original writers Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell. Aardman co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton served as executive producers.
Pre-production officially commenced on October 16, 2019. Interestingly, Mel Gibson was not asked to reprise his role as Rocky. In June 2020, more details emerged about the storyline, picking up from where the first film left off, focusing on the chickens settling into a new safe area. However, their tranquillity is disrupted by news of a looming threat. July 2020 saw Julia Sawalha, the voice of Ginger, announcing her replacement, citing her voice as sounding too old for the character. This decision sparked controversy and criticism for its perceived ageism.
Principal photography began in early 2021. By January 2022, Zachary Levi, Thandiwe Newton, David Bradley, Romesh Ranganathan, and Daniel Mays had taken over roles originally voiced by Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Benjamin Whitrow, Timothy Spall, and Phil Daniels, respectively. Additionally, Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, and Lynn Ferguson reprised their roles from the first film. New characters Molly, Dr. Fry, and Frizzle were voiced by Bella Ramsey, Nick Mohammed, and Josie Sedgwick-Davies. In September 2023, it was confirmed that Miranda Richardson would return as the voice of Mrs. Tweedy, and Peter Serafinowicz would join as Reginald Smith, a “slightly bemused businessman”.
