‘Chicken Run’ Sequel and New ‘Wallace & Gromit’ Film Coming to Netflix
Aardman Animations and Netflix are continuing their collaboration with a brand new Wallace & Gromit film plus a Chicken Run sequel.
A follow-up to the beloved 2000 movie Chicken Run has been discussed several times over the years, but now it’s finally happening with Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, set to debut in 2023. Created by Peter Lord and Nick Park, the original film is the highest-grossing stop-motion animated feature of all time, grossing over $224 million.
The sequel catches viewers up with Ginger and Rocky, who are enjoying life on a peaceful island sanctuary following their death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm. However, back on the mainland, a new threat puts all of chicken-kind in danger. Ginger and her team must put their own freedom at risk as they embark on a break-in to help their friends.
Thandiwe Newton (Westworld) and Zachary Levi (Mr. Robot) will play Ginger and Rocky, respectively, replacing Julia Sawalha and Mel Gibson, who voiced the characters in the original. Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) voices their headstrong daughter, Molly, while Jane Horrocks (Babs), Imelda Staunton (Bunty), and Lynn Ferguson (Mac) reprise their roles.
Joining the cast are Josie Sedgwick-Davies (Frizzle), David Bradley (Fowler), Romesh Ranganathan (Nick), Daniel Mays (Fetcher), and Nick Mohammed (Dr. Fry). Sam Fell (ParaNorman) is set to direct the film, which is currently in production.
In addition, Park is working on a new Wallace & Gromit film, which will premiere first in the U.K. on the BBC before coming to Netflix for the rest of the world. Park will direct alongside Aardman’s Creative Director of Wallace & Gromit, Merlin Crossingham, with Mark Burton writing the screenplay. It is scheduled for a 2024 release.
The film is currently untitled, but it centers around Gromit’s concerns that Wallace has become over-dependant on his inventions. When Wallace invents a “smart gnome” that develops a mind of its own, Gromit must once again save the day before events continue to spiral out of control.
Aardman and Netflix’s partnership kicked off last year with the release of the animated musical Robin Robin, which was directed by Mikey Please and Dan Ojari. The film recently made the Oscars shortlist and BAFTA longlist for animated short films.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, 2023, Netflix
Untitled Wallace & Gromit Project, 2024, Netflix
