'Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget' to premiere at BFI London Film Festival

Annie Martin
·2 min read
Thandiwe Newton voices Ginger in "Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
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Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The Chicken Run sequel will have its world premiere at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival.

Organizers said Wednesday that Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, a new stop-motion animated film, will screen Oct. 14 at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall.

Dawn of the Nugget is a sequel to the 2000 film Chicken Run, which featured the voices of Julia Sawalha and Mel Gibson. The new movie stars Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi and Bella Ramsey.

Zachary Levi attends the MTV Movie & TV Awards in 2019. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Zachary Levi attends the MTV Movie & TV Awards in 2019. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

Dawn of the Nugget hails from Aardman Animations, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. The film is directed by Sam Fell.

Newton voices chicken protagonist Ginger, with Levi as her rooster mate, Rocky.

Bella Ramsey attends the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of "Catherine Called Birdy" in 2022. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI
Bella Ramsey attends the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of "Catherine Called Birdy" in 2022. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI

"Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy's farm, Ginger has finally found her dream -- a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world," an official synopsis reads.

"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!"

Thandiwe Newton (R) and Nico Parker attend the Los Angeles premiere of "Dumbo" in 2019. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Thandiwe Newton (R) and Nico Parker attend the Los Angeles premiere of "Dumbo" in 2019. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, David Bradley, Jane Horrocks, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, Josie Sedgwick-Davies and Nick Mohammed also have voice roles.

"What an honor to world premiere our film on home turf at the London Film Festival this year. 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," Fell said in a statement.

Zachary Levi attends the Los Angeles premiere of "Shazam!" in 2019. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI
Zachary Levi attends the Los Angeles premiere of "Shazam!" in 2019. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will have simultaneous preview screenings Oct. 14 at multiple theaters across the United Kingdom. The film will premiere Dec. 15 on Netflix.