Two decades after organizing a feathery union and flying the coop, the heroes of Chicken Run are making a triumphant comeback later this year.
The stop-motion classic's long-awaited sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, is set to debut on Netflix this December, and the first trailer is finally here! In that, we learn more about the challenges the returning Ginger and Rocky will face when they battle the villainous Mrs. Tweedy.
However, those of you familiar with 2000's Chicken Run might notice that the cast now sounds very different. That's because Thandiwe Newton is replacing Julia Sawalha as Ginger, with Shazam! Fury of the Gods star Zachary Levi stepping in for Mel Gibson as Rocky.
Miranda Richardson will return as Mrs. Tweedy, though, with Peter Serafinowicz set to play hapless businessman Reginald Smith. The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey, meanwhile, takes on the role of the newly hatched Molly.
Other cast members include Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, Josie Sedgwick-Davies, David Bradley, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, and Nick Mohammed.
Check out the first Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget trailer below.
The original Chicken Run grossed over $225 million at the worldwide box office, making it the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time. Dreamed up by Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park and Aardman Animations co-founder Peter Lord, the follow-up was written by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell and Rachel Tunnard, with Sam Fell directing.
"For Ginger and the flock, all is at stake when the dangers of the human world come home to roost; they’ll stop at nothing even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk to save chicken-kind," reads Dawn of the Nugget's official synopsis. "This time, they’re breaking in!"
The description for an upcoming tie-in book actually reveals even more details about the movie.
"Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy's farm, Ginger has finally found her dream," it reads, "a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and rooster 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."
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget hatches on Netflix December 15.