A few years back, news emerged that Aardman was working on a sequel to Chicken Run – its The Great Escape-but-chickens comedy from 2000. It was a surprise announcement that made fans of the original very happy, but word since has been thin on the ground. Until now – Netflix has now confirmed that the next Chicken Run is being cooked up (the film, that is, not the chickens) for the streaming service.
Aardman is once again on board to make the film with production due to begin in 2021. Assuming the studio is going down the traditional stop-motion claymation route for the follow-up, it’ll likely take a good few years to get the chickens up and running.
Most interestingly, we now have a synopsis for the film, which confirms that the original characters will be back for another daring mission: “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 film will be directed by Sam Fell, with a script by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell, Rachel Tunnard and Aardman legend Nick Park. “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,” says Aardman co-founder Peter Lord. “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.” Bring on the break-in.