The original movie’s villain and Ginger’s nemesis returns.
A whopping 23 years after the original movie’s release, Aardman Animations is finally returning to the coop with Chicken Run 2: Dawn of the Nugget.
And now an official trailer has given fans a first proper look at the sequel, confirming the return of the villainous Mrs Tweedy (Miranda Richardson), who attempted to bake the chickens into pies in the original movie.
Original voice actors Julia Sawalha and Mel Gibson have stepped aside to make way for Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi as the new voices of Ginger and Rocky.
Other new additions to the cast include Bella Ramsey, Romesh Ranganathan, Nick Mohammed and David Bradley, while returning players alongside Richardson include Jane Horrocks, Lynn Ferguson and Imelda Staunton.
“Last time, we broke out of a chicken farm. Well, this time, we’re breaking in,” Ginger (Newton, replacing Sawalha) explains in the teaser for the film, which picks up from the original and sees the newly freed chickens join forces to bring down Tweedy’s high-security nugget factory.
You can watch the trailer below:
“They say a movie is only as good as its villain and Ginger’s nemesis, Mrs Tweedy is one of the all-time greats. Now she’s out to take industrial-scale revenge on all chicken-kind with the Dawn of the Nugget,” said director Sam Fell in a statement.
“We’ve had so much fun working with Miranda Richardson to transform Melisha Tweedy into the ultimate 1960s super-villain. Miranda has a unique understanding of drama and comedy, making you laugh while scaring the pants off you in the exact same moment.
“Also rounding out our fantastic cast is Peter Serafinowicz playing Reginald Smith, a slightly bemused businessman visiting Mrs Tweedy’s giant nugget factory. It takes a particular kind of comic genius to play the foil to Miranda Richardson’s hilariously frightening archvillain. Peter pulls it off with effortless finesse.”
Sawalha revealed she will not be reprising the lead role of Ginger in the sequel back in July 2020, claiming she was told she sounded “too old“.
However, while the actress said she was “devastated” at the decision, she also wished the new voice cast “best of luck and the greatest success” with the sequel.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget arrives on Netflix on 15th December 2023, while the first film is available now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.