Mr Tweedy tried to warn you: those chickens are, once again, up to summat. This time, though, it’s a bit more glamorous than a breakout from a Yorkshire farm. Finally, 23 years since a mushroom cloud of gravy rose over Tweedys’ Farm, we’ve got a premiere date for the long-awaited Chicken Run sequel Dawn of the Nugget. Towards the end go the year, it’ll be coming on Netflix – but months before that date, it will get its official debut in the UK.
Aardman’s sequel will world-premiere at the London Film Festival on 14 October, two months prior to its Netflix streaming date on 15 December – and if you’re not in London, or not going to the LFF, fear not. There will be simultaneous preview screenings across the country on that October date too, bringing Rocky and Ginger’s next adventure all around the UK.
“What an honor to world premiere our film on home turf at the London Film Festival this year,” Dawn Of The Nugget director Sam Fell said. “Dawn of the Nugget showcases the amazing talent and ingenuity of the crew at Aardman backed by the enduring passion of the team at Netflix. We’ve poured everything we’ve got into making this a treat for both die-hard fans and the new generation of families discovering Chicken Run for the first time.”
Having broken out and left Mrs Tweedy in the wreckage of that pie-making machine, Ginger, Rocky and the rest of the chicken crew made it to the safety and tranquility of an island utopia, presumably somewhere off the coast of East Yorkshire. Ginger and Rocky have even got a chick, Molly, to look after now. But soon there’s a new threat back on the mainland which calls Ginger and the gang back – for the good of all chickens.
Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival director, is also hyped. “We are so excited to be sharing the magic and artistry of the Aardman studio and their favourite feathered friends with audiences this October with a film that’s brimming with fun and has such enormous heart.” Who’s ready to flip, flop and fly all over again?