To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the stop-motion animated film Chicken Run, Netflix announced they have acquired the sequel with Aardman Animations producing. According to TheWrap, the original’s voice star Mel Gibson is not expected to be asked back and will be recast for the follow-up. Production on the sequel is expected to begin next year, and you can check out Netflix’s official announcement below!
POULTRY NEWS: Exactly 20 years to the day since the original was released, we can confirm there will be a Chicken Run sequel coming to Netflix!! Produced by @aardman, production is expected to begin next year. Eggsellent.
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) June 23, 2020
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Netflix secured the rights to the project outside of China from Studiocanlan and Pathé after Aardman announced two years ago that they were working on a sequel.
Peter Lord, Aardman co-founder and creative director, said: “Fans around the world have waited patiently for a sequel idea worthy of Chicken Run so we’re delighted to announce, on the 20th anniversary, that we’ve found the perfect story. Netflix feels like the ideal creative partner for this project too: they celebrate the film-maker, which means we can make the film we want to make — the one we really care about — and share it with a global audience.”
The Chicken Run sequel will pick up the story of the chickens who pulled off an escape from Tweedy’s farm in the original film where 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!
Sam Fell (Flushed Away, ParaNorman) will direct the follow-up from a script written by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell, and Rachel Tunnard. Steve Pegram is producing with Lord, Carla Shelley, and Kirkpatrick executive producing. Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep) will consult.
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The original Chicken Run movie starred Gibson as Rocky and Julia Sawalha as Ginger, who led the escape efforts of a group of chickens, fleeing the clutches of Mrs. Tweedy before she converts her farm into a chicken pot pie factory. Chicken Run became the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all-time when it premiered in 2000, earning nearly $225 million at the worldwide box office, and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical in 2001.
