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Netflix confirms new Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit films and people are hyped

Animation still from Chicken Run 2, showing a foot emerging from a cracked egg and two chickens (Ginger and Rocky) bending back in surprise.
New Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit films are on the way
Aardman/Netflix

Twitter is full of nostalgia this afternoon, after the hit animation studio Aardman confirmed a Chicken Run sequel and Wallace and Gromit movie are making their way to Netflix in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Cracking stuff, Gromit!

News of a second Chicken Run film was previously announced by Netflix back in June 2020, when they said production would begin a year later.

However on Thursday, further information was released about the movie, which now has the official title, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

“Directed by Sam Fell, the new film sees Ginger and all the chickens living the dream in their peaceful island sanctuary, 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.

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“For Ginger and her team - even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk – this time, they’re breaking in,” an Aardman press release reads.

The beloved original film, released in 2000, starred Julia Sawalha as the plucky protagonist Ginger and Mel Gibson as rooster Rocky, two birds part of a chicken farm desperate to escape slaughter.

The characters return in the sequel, but this time they are voiced by Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi respectively. Comedian Romesh Ranganathan, Harry Potter star David Bradley and Game of Thrones actress Bella Ramsey are also amongst the voice cast.

Favourites from the original are also set to return, including Babs (Jane Horrocks), Bunty (Imelda Staunton) and Lynn Fergusson (Mac).

But if that’s not enough Aardman for you, then you’re in luck – or rather, cluck – as today also saw news of another outing for inventor Wallace and his faithful dog Gromit.

As yet untitled, the film “sees Gromit becoming concerned that Wallace is a little too dependent on his inventions”.

“When Wallace’s ‘Smart Gnome’ develops a mind of its own, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again,” Aardman said.

The film, set to debut on the BBC in the UK but Netflix everywhere else, is the latest film featuring the two characters after The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2005.

The voice cast for the film is yet to be announced, but it’s likely that Ben Whitehead will return to voice Wallace following the death of the original actor Peter Sallis in 2017.

Fans of both franchises were absolutely ecstatic – or rather, eggstatic - when the news was revealed on Twitter:

















Given both films will feature Aardman’s trademark stop-motion animation style, these movies will obviously take some time, but we can’t clucking wait.

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