When did the first ‘Chicken Run’ come out and who was in the cast?

If you had been in a coma for about two decades, 2023 might’ve actually been a comforting year to wake up as it’s been full of nostalgia-bait releases. Michael Keaton was back in Batman, Frasier returned to our screens, and a new Chicken Run movie came out.

The first Chicken Run is a beloved childhood favorite for those of a certain age, so the arrival of a long-awaited sequel in the form of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget on Netflix has been welcomed with open arms (or wings). Aardman Animations, purveyors of globally popular yet distinctly British stop-motion entertainment, have never been one to rush sequels — we’re still waiting on another feature-length Wallace and Gromit! — but how long has it been specifically since the original film?

When did the original Chicken Run release?

Chicken Run came out on June 23, 2000 in U.S. theaters, meaning that it’s taken an entire 23 and a half years for Dawn of the Nugget to arrive.

That extreme gap makes a lot more sense, though, when you consider the “quality before quantity” mindset that sets Aardman apart from most production studios. Since Chicken Run marked Aardman’s first feature-length film, the studio has only released a total of nine more, including Dawn of the Nugget. Similarly, only one of these has been a sequel — 2015’s Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon.

Basically, if you’re hoping for Chicken Run 3, get ready to enjoy that around 2050.

Who was in the cast of the original Chicken Run?

Naturally, given the massive span of time that bridges Chicken Run and Chicken Run 2, the casts of both movies look a little different. Dawn of the Nugget stars Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi as Ginger and Rocky, for example, neither of whom feature in the 2000 film.

Instead, Julia Sawalha played Ginger, while Mel Gibson voiced Rocky the first time around. Sawalha is a prolific star on British television screens, probably most known for sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, who was particularly prominent in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Gibson, meanwhile, is in a very different place in his career and public reputation these days to where he was at the turn of the century, to put it lightly. That may have something to do with why neither actor returns for the follow-up, although Sawalha has publicly hit back at the decision to replace her with Newton.

Chicken Run‘s supporting cast, meanwhile, included the likes of Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter), Phil Daniels, and Benjamin Whitrow. All three have been replaced for the sequel by Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, and David Bradley (Argus Filch in Harry Potter), respectively. Four key players from the first are involved in the new film, however. Namely, Jane Horrocks, Lynn “sister of Craig” Ferguson, and Imelda Staunton (Professor Umbridge in Harry Potter). And, most notably, villain Mrs. Tweedy is once again portrayed by Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter in Harry Potter).

A lot has changed in 23 years, but two things remain certain. The public never tires of watching chickens made from Play-Doh and about 75% of all British actors have appeared in Harry Potter.