Director Sam Fell of Chickens Run 2 claims that animated sequels weren’t a big thing in early 2000s and praises Toy Story 2.
The sequel to Aardman Animation’s 2000 stop-motion smash, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, is set to return after 23 years of the original release. In the first Chicken Run, the courageous Ginger (voiced by Julia Sawalha) led the flock, including the not-so-brave rooster Rocky (Mel Gibson), in a poultry parody of Escape to Victory as they escaped from Mrs. Tweedy’s farm. In Dawn of the Nugget, with Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi now voicing the characters, and Bella Ramsey as their plucky daughter Molly, the flock is on a new mission. This time, they are breaking into a chicken nugget-making factory, where Mrs. Tweedy has transformed into a ’60s-era Bond villain and fast food mastermind.
Fell during a panel at Deadline’s Contenders London highlighted that in the early 2000s, creating sequels wasn’t a prevalent trend. The remark specifically points to Toy Story 2 as a groundbreaking example of a successful animated sequel.
He remarked, “Animated sequels weren’t a big thing back then, Toy Story 2 was probably the first great animated sequel.”
Released in 1999, the movie was directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Ash Brannon and Lee Unkrich. The film expanded upon the world established in the first Toy Story movie, introducing new characters and deepening the emotional connections between the audience and the animated toys.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will premiere at the 67th London Film Festival on October 14, 2023, and will be available on Netflix on December 15, 2023.
