Aardman has announced details about its forthcoming sequel to Chicken Run.
The Bristol-based animation studio has revealed a brief synopsis of the follow-up to the family favourite, almost two years after the film was first disclosed.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is the hotly anticipated sequel to the stop-motion picture first released in 2000, assembling a star-studded cast led by Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi and Bella Ramsey.
READ: Aardman announces new Wallace & Gromit film is coming
Thandiwe Newton took to Twitter to confirm her excitement, writing: “The chickens are finally coming home to roost! I'm thrilled to be joining the cast of the new Chicken Run sequel.”
Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton and Lynn Ferguson will return in their respective roles as Babs, Bunty and Mac in the animated adventure classic.
Also joining the roost are Josie Sedgwick-Davies, David Bradley, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays and Nick Mohammed.
Production for the forthcoming feature film began in 2021, helmed by Director Sam Fell known for Aardman Animation’s Flushed Away and The Tales of Despereaux.
Chicken Run’s newest chapter is set to be released in 2023, distributed by streaming giant Netflix.
Back when the announcement was first made last year, Peter Lord, Aardman Co-Founder and Creative Director, acknowledge how patiently fans around the world had waited for the sequel.
Mr Lord said: "Netflix feels like the ideal creative partner for this project too: they celebrate the film-maker, which means we can make the film we want to make – the one we really care about – and share it with a global audience."
What is Chicken Run 2 about?
The new film sees Ginger (Newton) and all the chickens living the dream in their peaceful island sanctuary, far from the dangers of the human world.
When she and Rocky (Levi) hatch a little girl called Molly, played by Ramsey, Ginger’s happy ending seems complete.
But when she discovers the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat, Ginger and the team launch their plot to break in.
The screenplay has been co-written by Aardman creator Nick Park alongside, Sam Fell, Karey Kirkpatrick, Peter Lord, John O'Farrell and Rachel Tunnard, according to crew listings on IMDB.
Part one of the story, which starred Mel Gibson, Phil Daniels, Tony Haygarth and Lynn Ferguson, received overwhelmingly positive reviews following its widespread cinematic release in June 2000.
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Chicken Run was a huge commercial success, grossing over $224 million according to Box Office data. To this day it is still the highest-grossing animated film ever made.
The news of the studios’ release date was welcomed by fans. “Just give me the Chicken Run sequel now please, it’s been a rough couple of years,” Joe Dawson tweeted.
The first instalment of the film charts a group of chickens who view a rooster named Rocky as their only hope to escape the farm when their owners make preparations to turn them into chicken meat pies.
Aardman made their announcement alongside their news of a new Wallace & Gromit story expected to come to our screens in 2024 through both the BBC and Netflix.
The as of yet untitled film will be the sixth instalment to feature the beloved pair spanning almost 35 years.
They tweeted: “Exciting news! Wallace & Gromit will return for a new film in 2024, directed by creator Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham.”
It will be the first film since their 2008 BAFTA-award-winning and Oscar-nominated A Matter of Loaf and Death , the last major appearance for actor Peter Sallis as Wallace before his death in 2017 .
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