Chicken Run (2000) captivated the hearts of many upon its release. With its wit, action, and loveable characters, the film dominated the box office, as it is still the highest-grossing stop animation film. After 23 years, the long-awaited sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is coming. 

The first film introduces the chickens of Tweedy’s Farm and their constant attempts to escape the farm before they’re turned into lunch meat. As Mrs.Tweedy hopes to turn her farm into a pie factory, the chickens scramble to find a way to escape. While most of the chickens are ready to give up, leader Ginger does not. When hope is almost lost, hope comes with the help of the daredevil rooster Rocky. Inspired by this, Ginger asks him to teach them how to ‘fly’. With this, the chickens plot their escape. In the end, they find a paradise for themselves to live freely, now that they’re free from the Tweedys.

Winner Winner, Chicken…Nuggets?

Now, we find the revolutionaries breaking into a chicken processing plant. Getting in won’t be easy as its dangers include: electric fences, missile launching moles, and laser shooting ducks. However, good old Rocky’s there to fly and test out the dangers of the security systems. I can’t help but make comparisons to The Promised Neverland. Don’t worry, this film will not be as gruesome as that manga. The horrors of reality will most likely come through a much more family-friendly lens. 

At the end of the first film, Mrs.Tweedy is crushed by a barn door and presumed dead. In the trailer, she reappears, perfectly fine. I wonder if they are going to address Mrs.Tweedy’s reappearance because I was convinced she died at the end of the first film. Seeing her alive and kicking is baffling to me. However, Mr. Tweedy is missing in the trailer. Is he still in the picture? I hope we get some background on the Tweedy’s after their chicken pie farm went up in smoke.

The trailer showcases the same wit and action that made the first film a hit. This, paired with the advancements in stop-motion animation makes me excited to see how this film will highlight the strides in animation made in the past two decades. In terms of story, I think it will be a reversed take on the story from the first film. Instead of breaking out and destroying a small business, they’re breaking in and trying to dismantle a factory. However, now the chickens have more eggs in the basket with the addition of Ginger and Rocky’s child to the cast.

Cast Changes

This film features an almost entirely new voice cast. However, this sequel features the talents of Zachary Levi and Thandiwe Newton replacing Mel Gibson and Julia Sawalha as Rocky and Ginger, respectively. There’s also the addition of Bella Ramsey as Rocky and Ginger’s child. Based on the snippets from the trailer, I have no doubt they will fill in the shoes left by their predecessors. 

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will be available on Netflix on December 15. You can check out the trailer below: