Back in the year 2000, when boy bands dominated the globe. Everyone was still trying to figure out how the internet worked. And computer-animated movies were just getting started. There was one animation company defying the trend with a fury. Aardman had built a name for itself in the previous decade with a series of critically acclaimed. Other humorous short films starring Wallace and Gromit. A cheese-loving British man and his anthropomorphic dog. Chicken Run 2, the studio’s first feature picture, was co-financed and distributed by DreamWorks.
Chicken Run is set in the same stop-motion, claymation style as Aardman’s films. He follows a hen named Ginger (Julia Swahala) and a rooster named Rocky (Mel Gibson) as they try to free themselves and their feathered compatriots from being converted into meat pies by the Tweedys, the owners of their farm.
Because the Wallace and Gromit shorts had just a small cult following in the United States at the time, viewers might be forgiven for having low expectations for Chicken Run. However, the $45 million films went on to gross $225 million worldwide, owing to its heart, slapstick humor, and surprising quantities of gripping action. Chicken Run is still the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time. We’ve long been curious as to why such a popular and profitable film never had a sequel.
We won’t be surprised anymore. On June 23, 2020. Precisely 20 years after the first film’s premiere, Netflix and Aardman were confirmed via Twitter. Further, Chicken Run 2 is in the works, with production set to begin in 2021. To say we’re eggs-cited would be an understatement. This was done to say we’re eggs-static would be more accurate. There isn’t much specific information available for the time being, and the sequel film is still a long way off. But here’s what we know about Chicken Run 2.
When Will Chicken Run 2 Be Released?
We can only conjecture about when Chicken Run 2 will be released on Netflix. It is because it hasn’t yet begun production, and no official release date has been established.
Even if production on Chicken Run 2 begins in early 2021. We don’t anticipate it to be finished before the middle of 2022. Stop-motion animation is significantly more time-consuming than traditional animation. Consider that each frame of the film must be filmed separately. Further with each plasticine model modified ever-so-slightly between each frame. All about 24 frames equals one thin second of the movie (via National Film Board of Canada).
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Working in this manner took the original film’s animators several days. To create just a few seconds of material; with a bit of arithmetic. We can estimate that around one minute of footage might be created every week. Given that Chicken Run was only a little over 80 minutes long. A year-long production for the sequel would be a stretch. Having said that, Netflix appears to like short turnaround periods. And Aardman should be able to keep up with Netflix. It’s two decades of added experience since making Chicken Run.
Also, the budget for Chicken Run 2 is presently unknown. But the more money Netflix is ready to put into the project. The more animators Aardman will be able to hire, the sooner the sequel will be in front of our eyes. There are a lot of unknowns here. But we anticipate Chicken Run 2 arriving on Netflix around Christmas 2022. However, you should bookmark this page since we’ll update it. Further with an official release date as soon as one is announced.
Who’s in the Chicken Run 2 Cast?
The original Chicken Run had a predominantly British cast (surprise, surprise). Further with, Gibson stands out as an American voice actor among them. While the announcement for Chicken Run 2. It didn’t say if any original cast members would return. We’re reasonably convinced that practically the whole British ensemble should be a lock to return. But Gibson should not. In fact, it’s already been announced (via The Wrap) that Rocky’s character will be remade.
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Gibson made headlines in June 2020 after. It was revealed that he made homophobic and anti-Semitic statements. Further in the presence of Jewish actress Winona Ryder at a party in 1995. At the same time, Gibson’s career and reputation have improved in recent years. He was even nominated for an Academy Award for directing 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge. It’s easy to see why Aardman and Netflix would want to avoid having him involved with Chicken Run 2.
Aside from Gibson and Swahala, Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter from the Harry Potter series). Imelda Staunton (Downton Abbey) and Timothy Spall (The King’s Speech) were among the cast members of Chicken Run. Unfortunately, Tony Haygarth and Benjamin Whitrow. He played Mr. Tweedy and Fowler the rooster. They have both died away in the years following the original film’s debut.
What Is Chicken Run 2’s Plot?
Aardman’s website offers a bit more information on Chicken Run 2. That Twitter announcement about Chicken Run 2. It may not have given us much in the way of details, but it’s a start. Ginger and Rocky had completed their getaway and landed on a lovely island. It is where the entire flock could be free of the threat of becoming meat pies at the end of Chicken Run. According to the blurb for the sequel, the couple has welcomed. Since we last saw them, a new member of the flock: a tiny chick called Molly.
However, Ginger and Rocky will learn that back on the Tweedys’ farm. A new scheme has been implemented. A sinister conspiracy that threatens not only the farm’s inhabitants. But all chickens worldwide. Ginger and Rocky must return to the farm, leaving their island haven behind, to put an end to the unethical activities. And this time, they’ll have to break in. The studio is keeping quiet about what this new danger may be. But we have a feeling it will have something to do with the mass production of consumer poultry goods.
Further Information on the Series
In the long-awaited sequel Chicken Run. Dawn of the Nugget from Aardman Animations and Netflix. Zachary Levi takes the role of Mel Gibson. Finally, some good news: a new Wallace and Gromit picture is in the works. The stop-motion superstars will return in 2024. According to Netflix. Meanwhile, in 2023, the long-awaited sequel Chicken Run Dawn of the Nugget. It will be released on the streaming service.
The unnamed Wallace and Gromit film will premiere on the BBC in the United Kingdom. And on Netflix in other countries. Nick Park, the Oscar-winning creator of Wallace and Gromit. Chicken Run and other classics from British stop-motion animation firm Aardman Animations. It is a co-director (also known as claymation).
Wallace is an amateur inventor and cheese connoisseur. It further on invents a clever gnome in the new film. And his long-suffering dog pal Gromit must once again rescue the day. The animated fowl from the original film return in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. Further in a new adventure that follows their escape from the farm. But this time, they must break-in.
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Chicken Run was a tremendous smash when it initially came out in 2000. And it’s still the highest-grossing stop-motion animated feature of all time. The long-awaited sequel has fresh voices for the major characters. After original actor Mel Gibson’s stunning public flameout, Thandiwe Newton takes over as Ginger, and Zachary Levi takes over as Rocky’s voice. Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, and Lynn Ferguson played Babs, Bunty. And Mac, in the original film, reprise their roles as Babs, Bunty, and Mac.
Wrapping Up
Obviously, Chicken Run 2 isn’t even in the early phases of production for another several month. There’s no trailer for us to look at right now. And we won’t be seeing one for a long time. Nonetheless, you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll be keeping our finger. On the pulse of Chicken Run 2. We will update this piece as soon as fresh information becomes available.
Sam Fell, who directed Aardman’s 2006 computer-animated film Flushed Away. He will head Chicken Run 2. Karey Kirkpatrick (Over the Hedge), John O’Farrell (who contributed to the original film’s writing). Further, Rachel Tunnard wrote the screenplay (Adult Life Skills).
