Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget – Picture. Aardman Animations
Over the past few years, Aardman Animation has been working away on Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the sequel to the 2000 British animated comedy Chicken Run. We’re keeping track of everything you need to know about Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, including the plot, cast, trailers, and, most importantly, the Netflix release date, which is expected to be in December 2023.
Directed and written by Sam Fell (Flushed Away, ParaNorman), the screenplay for the Chicken Run sequel was written by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell, and Rachel Tunnard and is based on the characters Peter Lord and Nick Park created.
Aardman Animations and Pathé have once again worked together to bring the stop motion to life. The project was first announced in April 2018 with Netflix attached to distribute the movie in June 2020.
Production on the feature film began in 2019, with it concluding in April 2023.
Production team for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
When is the Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Netflix release date?
We’re still waiting for the exact release date for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.
The title was first confirmed to be coming in 2023 as part of the movie slate unveiling in January 2023, but no other guidance was given. An interview in November 2022 revealed that the movie aimed for a “Q4” 2023 release date.
Collider reported in January 2023 that the movie was set to release in November 2023, but when asked for comment, Netflix denied this date was accurate.
In April 2023, we got word that a tie-in book with the movie will be released in December. Titled Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Crochet: 10 loveable characters to make, the book’s description confirms that the movie is coming to Netflix in December 2023.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Crochet: 10 loveable characters to make – Pictures courtesy of Barnes & Noble
On the official IMDb page for the project, the release date has been listed as December 10th, 2023. Of course, IMDb can be edited by anyone, but we’ll keep tabs on any additional info in the coming months.
What is the plot of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget?
The synopsis for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is courtesy of Aardman Animations;
“Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has finally found her dream – a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, Ginger’s happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland, the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk – this time, they’re breaking in.”
Who are the cast members of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget?
Some brand new cast members will be replacing some of the original cast;
- Thandie Newton replaces Julia Sawalha as Ginger
- Zachary Levi replaces Mel Gibson as Rocky
- Daniel Mays replaces Phil Daniels as Fetcher
- David Bradley replaces Benjamin Whitrow as Fowler
- Romesh Ranganathan replaces Timothy Spall as Nick
Cast members reprising their roles;
- Imelda Staunton as Bunty
- Jane Horrocks as Babs
- Lynn Ferguson as Mac
Introducing new cast members:
- Bella Ramsey as Molly
- Josie Sedgwick as Frizzie
- Nick Mohammed as Dr. Fry
Why have some cast members been replaced?
In a surprising turn of events, in July 2020, Julia Sawalha announced that she would not be reprising her role as Ginger as the studio opted for a younger actress instead. Producers of the movie notified Julia’s agent that the decision to replace her was because her voice now sounds “too old” despite the fact they never gave her an opportunity to do a voice test for the role. The re-casting of Julia was criticized heavily, with many accusing the producers of being ageist.
No reason was given for the recasting of Mel Gibson, however, given the actor’s controversial reputation, it’s not hard to see why the producers would opt for a new actor to take on the role of Rocky. It’s also not been made clear why Timothy Spall and Phil Daniels have been replaced as the voices of Nick and Fetcher.
Game of Thrones and Harry Potter actor David Bradley replaces Benjamin Whitrow as the voice of Fowler as the actor passed away at the age of 80 in September 2017.
Are you looking forward to the release of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget? Let us know in the comments below!
