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PRODUCTION / FUNDING UK / USA

Aardman and Netflix team up on new Wallace & Gromit film and Chicken Run sequel

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- The first project is set for a 2024 release, whilst the second will be coming exclusively to Netflix next year

Aardman and Netflix team up on new Wallace & Gromit film and Chicken Run sequel
Nick Park, creator and director of Wallace & Gromit, pictured with the iconic characters (© Netflix)

After last year’s fruitful collaboration on Mikey Please and Dan Ojari’s acclaimed musical Robin Robin, Aardman Animations and Netflix are teaming up on two new features. The first is Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the much-anticipated sequel to the 2000 comedy-action-adventure flick Chicken Run (also acclaimed as the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time), while the second is the return of the iconic Wallace & Gromit. Writing and storyboarding have already kicked off on the latter, which is as yet untitled.

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The premise of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget begins when Ginger, after having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, 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 cast includes Thandiwe Newton (starring as Ginger), Zachary Levi (Rocky), Bella Ramsey (Molly), 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).

The script was penned by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell and Rachel Tunnard, while Sam Fell (Flushed Away [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, The Tale of Despereaux, ParaNorman) is attached to direct. The producing team is headed up by Steve Pegram (Arthur Christmas [+see also:
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film profile
]
) and Leyla Hobart, whilst Peter Lord, Carla Shelley, Karey Kirkpatrick and Nick Park are returning as executive producers. This first project, already in production, will be coming exclusively to Netflix in 2023.

Meanwhile, the new Wallace & Gromit flick’s premise sees Gromit’s concern that Wallace has become overdependent on his inventions proving 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. The story, developed by Nick Park (the creator of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep) and Mark Burton (Madagascar, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, Shaun the Sheep Movie [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile
]
), is penned by the latter, with Park and Merlin Crossingham (second-unit director on Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and animation director on Early Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
) at the helm. Claire Jennings (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Coraline) is producing. The film, slated for release in 2024, will premiere exclusively on Netflix around the world, except in the UK, where it will debut first on the BBC before landing on Netflix.

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