Back in October we exclusively brought you the news that Aardman Animation had officially commenced pre-production on its long-awaited sequel to 2000’s Chicken Run, and now coinciding with the original’s 20th anniversary Netflix has announced that it is teaming with StudioCanal and Pathe to distribute the new movie.
“We’ve discussed it so many times over the years and come up with various ideas but never quite found one we loved enough,” said Aardman’s Peter Lord, who co-directed the first with Nick Park. “But it was always in the back of our minds. [Now] we’ve got the perfect story, and the relationship with Netflix is kind of perfect as well because they celebrate the filmmaker and are so filmmaker friendly. I feel now we can make the ‘Chicken Run’ sequel we want to, the one we really care about.”
Chicken Run 2 is set to be directed by Sam Fell (Flushed Away), who revealed that the sequel will follow Molly, the chick of Ginger and Rocky, who begins to outgrow the chickens’ safe haven just as word of a new threat arrives.
While there’s been no official confirmation on any returning cast members, The Wrap is reporting that Mel Gibson is “not expected to be asked back for the sequel” given the fact he’s been back in the headlines for homophobic and anti-Semitic comments he is alleged to have said to actress Winona Ryder back in 1995. Gibson voiced the character of Rocky, while the rest of the cast included the likes of Julia Sawalha, Miranda Richardson, Phil Daniels, Timothy Spall, and Imelda Staunton.
Production on Chicken Run 2 is expected to get underway early in 2021.
