Chicken Run sequel on its way to Netflix 20 years after original film's release
The Aardman Animations film will begin production next year, according to the streaming platform.
Netflix has confirmed that a long awaited sequel to hit Aardman Animations film Chicken Run will be making its way to the streaming platform.
A synopsis released by Aardman says, "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!"
The news about the sequel comes exactly 20 years to the day since the original film was released, with production on the sequel expected to begin in 2021.
The original film, which was directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park and featured a stellar voice cast including the likes of Mel Gibson, Imelda Staunton and Timothy Spall, was a huge hit - both critically and commercially - and became the highest grossing stop-motion film of all time.
It is not currently clear if the film will also have a big screen release, as has been the case with some of Netflix's biggest original movies in recent years - RadioTimes.com has reached out to Netflix and Aardman Animations for comment.
The sequel was originally announced back in April 2018, but this is the first time that Netflix's involvement has been made clear.
The screenwriters of the original film, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell, have returned to write the sequel - which will be helmed by Sam Fell, who previously co-directed the 2006 Aardman Animations film Flushed Away.
According to Aardman, the film will follow the chickens who, after escaping the farm owned by the Tweedys, have been living on their new island where they enjoy their freedom.
It is not yet known which cast members will return to voice their characters from the first film - but we'd expect the bulk of the stars to reprise their roles this time out.
Given production on Aardman films tends to take a long time, it could still be awhile before the films gets its release, but no date has been given as yet.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
