Aardman & Netflix Hatch ‘Chicken Run’ Sequel, New ‘Wallace & Gromit’ Movie

In a blog post authored by Aardman Animations co-Founder & Creative Director Peter Lord and Netflix’s Director of Film – Animation Aram Yacoubian, the entertainment powerhouses detailed two exciting stop-motion movie projects sure to delight fans: The return of Chicken Run next year and a brand-new Wallace & Gromit misadventure!

The announcement follows the first Aardman-Netflix collaboration, the musical holiday special Robin Robin, recently shortlisted for the Oscars and longlisted for the BAFTAs.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the eagerly anticipated sequel to the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time (released in 2000), is pecking its way to a Netflix premiere in 2023. Lord writes, “Over the years, a sequel was often discussed at Aardman but the studio needed the right story and the right partner. Following Robin Robin, another collaboration seemed like a no-brainer and the perfect time to bring back our poultry heroes to the world.” New cast info and a first-look image debuted today.

Synopsis: Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger (voiced by Thandiwe Newton) 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 (Zachary Levi) hatch a little girl called Molly (Bella Ramsey), 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!

Directed by Sam Fell (Flushed Away, The Tale of Despereaux, ParaNorman) from a script by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell and Rachel Tunnard, the comedy-adventure sequel also features the voices of Jane Horrocks (Babs), Imelda Staunton (Bunty), Lynn Ferguson (Mac), Josie Sedgwick-Davies (Frizzle), David Bradley (Fowler), Romesh Ranganathan (Nick), Daniel Mays (Fetcher) and Nick Mohammed (Dr. Fry).

Peter Lord, Carla Shelley, Karey Kirkpatrick and Nick Park are returning as executive producers. Steve Pegram (Arthur Christmas) and Leyla Hobart are producers.

As for the next grand outing for the lovable but rather harebrained inventor and his taciturn canine foil, the as-yet untitled Wallace & Gromit film will premiere in 2024 exclusively on Netflix around the world — except in the U.K., where it will debut first on the BBC before also coming to Netflix.

The Oscar-winning duo’s original creator Nick Park returns to his roots to direct alongside Aardman’s Creative Director of Wallace & Gromit, Merlin Crossingham (2nd unit director, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit; animation director, Early Man), with Mark Burton (Madagascar, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Shaun the Sheep Movie) onboard to write. Writing and storyboarding are underway. Claire Jennings (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Coraline) produces.

In the new movie,Gromit’s concern that Wallace has become over-dependant on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart gnome” that seems to develop a mind of its own … As events spiral out of control, it falls to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces — or Wallace may never be able to invent again!

Stay tuned for further announcements! (And make sure your trousers are safely powered off before you run out to spread the news.)