Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget: release date, voice cast, plot, trailer, interview and everything you need to know about the movie sequel
Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget is coming to Netflix in time for Christmas 2023! This stop-motion animation sequel arrives 23 years after Chicken Run became a hit movie worldwide for the world famous Aardman Studios.
The action in Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget is again directed by BAFTA-winner Sam Fell and is set after the events of Chicken Run when GInger and her chicken pals escaped from Tweedy's farm and have settled down to a peaceful life on an island sanctuary, until the hear of a new danger.
Among the Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget voice cast are Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey and Imelda Staunton (for full voice cast see below).
‘Chicken Run was described by some as The Great Escape with chickens,’ says director Sam Fell. ‘This is more like Mission Impossible - or should that be Chicken Impossible. It’s a great plot with all the fun of that genre, but it’s also the next chapter of Ginger’s story."
"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," the official synopsis reads. "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."
So here's everything you need to know about Netflix movie Chicken Run 2: Dawn Of The Nugget...
Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget release date
Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget launches worldwide on Netflix on Friday December 15 2023, so there's a lovely feelgood animation for the family in time for Christmas.
Is there a Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget trailer?
Yes there's an official trailer plus some teaser trailers released for Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget and it's just as cute as you'd expect. Below these also. as a refresher, is the trailer for original 2000 movie Chicken Run..
Chicken Run 2: Dawn Of The Nugget plot
Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget happens a year or two after the events of Chicken Run. After pulling off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger thinks she has finally found her dream at the a peaceful island sanctuary where the whole flock can live in comfort and security away from the dangers posed by humans and their love of farming chickens for food! After Ginger and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, it seems that Ginger’s happy ending is complete. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new awful threat. For Ginger and the flock, it means a dangerous new mission that will put their hard-won freedoms at risk. Now they must break back into Tweedy's farm!
Ruffling feathers once more is the return of Melisha Tweedy, better known as Mrs Tweedy, who is Ginger’s arch nemesis. Mrs Tweedy has refashioned herself as a type of Bond villian for a new era of 'fowl-play'.
Chicken Run 2: Dawn Of The Nugget voice cast
There's a top voice cast for Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget, some new to this sequel and others who appeared in the original Chicken Run. Listen out for Thandiwe Newton as Ginger, Zachary Levi as Rocky, while The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey voices their daughter Molly. Also listen out for Imelda Staunton who is back as Bunty, and other returnees Jane Horrocks is voicing Babs again and Lynn Ferguson is back as Mac.
Among the new voice cast are David Bradley who is voicing Fowler, Romesh Ranganathan is Nick, Daniel Mays is Fetcher, Josie Sedgwick-Davies is back as Frizzle and Nick Mohammed is Dr Fry.
Miranda Richardson transforms Melisha Tweedy, aka Mrs Tweedy, into a sort of 1960’s Bond super-villain (see the first look of evil Mrs Tweedy below).
Who's who in the voice cast and more about their characters...
Ginger
(Thandiwe Newton)
"Ginger’s a born leader,’ says Thandiwe. "She’s selfless and caring and everything she does is for the good of her family and the community!’"
Rocky
(Zachary Levi)
"Rocky was this maverick American hotshot in the first movie,"’ says Zachary. ‘"But now life has a different value to him."
Molly
(Bella Ramsey)
"Molly is an incredibly curious and very intelligent chicken," explains Bella. ‘With a huge heart and a strong sense of justice!"
Nick
(Romesh Ranganathan)
"Nick just wants to sell stuff, he doesn’t want to get involved in things," explains Romesh. "But the whole situation tugs at his heartstrings!"
Fetcher
(Daniel Mays)
"He and Nick are a great team," says Daniel. "I likened their double act to Laurel and Hardy!"
Mrs Tweedy
(Miranda Richardson)
"Miranda Richardson has a unique talent," says director Sam Fell. ‘She can make you laugh and scare the pants off you in the same moment."
Fowler
(David Bradley)
"Nearly everybody knows a Fowler," explains David. "Somebody who talks a good fight, but is just as vulnerable as the rest of us!"
Babs
(Jane Horrocks)
"Babs is still knitting and enjoying life," says Jane. "Even when she’s in a tricky situation, she’s not quite aware that she's in a tricky situation."
Bunty
(Imelda Staunton)
"To be back in the form of Bunty is very nostalgic," says Imelda. "I’m glad to say she’s lost none of her oomph!"
Sam Fell on the ideas behind Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget
Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget is directed by Sam Fell, who says: "Let me take you back to the year 2000 beginning of the century when people smoked indoors, but there was a ray of light when Aardman Studios in Bristol, England released their first feature film Chicken Run, a lovingly crafted stop motion masterpiece with heart, humour and a drama based on one of the best one wartime pictures of all time, The Great Escape but with chickens. It was instant classic adored by millions of people across the planet, and became the highest grossing stop motion feature film ever.
"Now 23 years later, we're bringing you the next chapter. Why did it take so long? Well, Chicken Run was a tough act to follow and there were numerous attempts, until eight years ago, when an idea emerged that felt like it could deliver on the promise. It's a simple idea — they broke out of a chicken farm and this time they're breaking in. It's going to be a big comedic action heist movie, aka Chicken Impossible.
"So for the last six years, I've been working tirelessly with a dedicated team of writers story artists, designers, sculptors, costume makers, builders, animators and digital artists, working on what can only be described as an almost infinite labour of love. There's no doubt for us that this is a major milestone project for the studio, and it's not just a homage to the past but an evolution of a warm-hearted, funny and exciting movie with a very positive message for our times.
"We have many of the original cast returning such as Imelda Staunton, Jane Horrocks, Ferguson, along with some exciting new ones, the amazing Thandiwe Newton giving the strength and vulnerability to the role of ginger. Zachary Levi plays Rocky, with irresistible humour and charm, and playing their daughter Molly is the ridiculously talented Bella Ramsey who brings over nuanced pathos and humour as seen recently in The Last Of Us but with a bit less sweat.
“They say a movie is only as good as its villain and Ginger’s nemesis, Mrs Tweedy is one of the all-time greats. Now she’s out to take industrial-scale revenge on all chicken-kind with the Dawn of the Nugget. We’ve had so much fun working with Miranda Richardson to transform Melisha Tweedy into the ultimate 1960’s super-villain. Miranda has a unique understanding of drama and comedy, making you laugh while scaring the pants off you in the exact same moment. Also rounding out our fantastic cast is Peter Serafinowicz playing Reginald Smith, a slightly bemused businessman visiting Mrs Tweedy’s giant nugget factory. It takes a particular kind of comic genius to play the foil to Miranda Richardson’s hilariously frightening archvillain. Peter pulls it off with effortless finesse.”
Behind the scenes and more on Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget
Chicken Run 2: Dawn Of The Nugget is and Aardman Studios production directed by Sam Fell, from a screenplay by writers Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell and Rachel Tunnard. The executive producers are Peter Lord, Nick Park, Carla Shelley, Paul Kewley and Karey Kirkpatrick.
