Chicken Run sequel Dawn of the Nugget promises to re-introduce us to Rocky and Ginger as they face off against a new danger that threatens their feathered way of life.

It’s been 23 years but Aardman Animations is finally returning to the coop for a follow-up to one of their most successful and fondly remembered features.

Released back in 2000, Chicken Run was the Bristol stop-motion studio’s first feature film and emerged as a huge hit with audiences both in the UK and abroad.

Read more: Julia Sawalha claims she was 'unfairly dismissed' from Chicken Run 2

Its success paved the way for Aardman to release a number of other animated features including Wallace and Gromit in Curse of the Ware-Rabbit in 2005, and 2012’s The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

Now, with a few casting tweaks in tow, they’re returning to the world of their debut movie for another farmyard heist set to debut on Netflix.

Here’s everything we know about Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget so far, including its release date, plot and star-studded cast.

Chicken Run 2 release date

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is due to debut on Netflix in late 2023, so perhaps these chickens will fly again around Christmas time?

Chicken Run 2 plot

The first Chicken Run introduced us to a group of chickens living on a Yorkshire farm that better resembled a prison camp. As the farm’s owners, Mr and Mrs Tweedy, took any excuse to eat up any chicken that falls out of line, the inhabitants of the coop, led by the courageous Ginger, dreamed up ways of escaping their pie-shaped fates.

Thankfully, things changed when an American rooster named Rocky crash landed on their farm.

He may have had a broken wing but Rocky claimed he can fly — and better yet, he was willing to teach the coop how to do the same so they can escape to a better life. While things don’t exactly go to plan, this animated prison-escape movie delivered Aardman’s smart humour and slick animation style in droves.

Cut to 2023 and Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget picks up years later with Ginger living a comfortable life away from any table-top threats in an idyllic island retreat.

However, when she receives word of a new nugget-shaped danger facing all of chicken-kind, her saviour nature kicks into gear and together with the rest of her bird pals — including rooster Rocky — she devises a plan to break back into the mainland and put a stop to this new evil.

Chicken Run 2 cast

The biggest change in this sequel is the recasting of its two primary leads.

Fans will no doubt remember that Mel Gibson led the way in the first Chicken Run as the voice of Rocky, while Absolutely Fabulous star Julia Sawalha voiced Ginger.

Read more: Mel Gibson not returning for Chicken Run sequel

Here, these two characters are played by different actors, with Shazam! star Zachary Levi inheriting the role of Rocky and Thandiwe Newton taking the role of lead hen Ginger.

Together, they’ll be joined by The Last of Us breakout star Bella Ramsey as Rocky and Ginger’s plucky young daughter Molly, while Jane Horrocks returns to the role of avid knitter and gravy hater, Babs.

Also returning from part one is Imelda Staunton’s no-nonsense, champion egg-layer Bunty AKA the muscle of the coop and Lynn Ferguson’s big-brained Mac, who’ll no doubt be helping to put Ginger’s plans into action.

Newcomers to the Chicken Run world include Josie Sedgwick-Davies as Molly’s wildcard friend Frizzle and David Bradley who takes over the role of elder-rooster Fowler from Benjamin Whitrow.

Romesh Ranganathan and Daniel Mays round out the cast as rodent pals Nick and Fletcher, respectively, with Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed due to play Dr. Fry.

Chicken Run 2 trailer

Unfortunately, a trailer for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget isn’t available just yet. Stop-motion films do take quite a while to make, after all.

However, with a late 2023 release date looming, we’re sure we’ll see something soon - so watch his space.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will debut on Netflix in late 2023.

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