Aardman reveals first look and voice cast for ‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget’
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (Image: Aardman/Netflix)
Alongside the announcement of a new outing for their classic characters Wallace & Gromit, Aardman and Netflix have unveiled the primary voice cast for their much-anticipated Chicken Run sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.
With a planned Netflix release in 2023, the new stop-motion feature will see the return of voice talents Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton and Lynn Ferguson reprising their roles as Babs, Bunty and Mac respectively, with Thandiwe Newton replacing Julia Sawalha as Ginger and Zachary Levi taking on the role of Rocky, previously voiced by Mel Gibson. New additions to the ensemble cast are Bella Ramsey as the couple’s daughter Molly alongside Josie Sedgwick-Davies (Frizzle), David Bradley (Fowler), Romesh Ranganathan (Nick), Daniel Mays (Fetcher) and Nick Mohammed (Dr Fry).
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!
Written by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell and Rachel Tunnard, the film is being directed by Sam Fell (Flushed Away, The Tale of Despereaux, ParaNorman), produced by Steve Pegram (Arthur Christmas) and Leyla Hobart with Peter Lord, Carla Shelley, Karey Kirkpatrick and Nick Park returning as executive producers.
The original Chicken Run was a huge critical and commercial success that still boasts the title of the most successful stop-motion feature of all time, grossing $225 million worldwide. Hear more from Skwigly about the film in episode 11 of the Skwigly Film Club podcast, which you can listen to (or direct download) below: