Chicken Run facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chicken Run |
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British theatrical release poster
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| Directed by |
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| Screenplay by | Karey Kirkpatrick |
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| Editing by | Mark Solomon |
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| Release date(s) | 23 June 2000 (United States) 30 June 2000 (United Kingdom) |
| Running time | 84 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $45 million |
| Money made | $224.8 million |
Chicken Run is a funny stop-motion movie from 2000. It was made by a British studio called Aardman Animations along with DreamWorks Animation from America and Pathé from France. This was the first full-length movie made by Aardman Animations. It was directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park.
The movie features the voices of Julia Sawalha, Mel Gibson, Tony Haygarth, Miranda Richardson, and others. The story is about a group of chickens who live on a farm. They hope a rooster named Rocky can help them escape. Their owners, the Tweedys, want to turn them into chicken pies!
Chicken Run was very popular with critics and audiences. It earned over $224 million around the world. This made it the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film ever. A sequel to the movie is currently being made.
Contents
The Story of Chicken Run
A group of chickens lives on an egg farm run by the mean Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy. The chickens, led by a smart hen named Ginger, keep trying to escape. But they always get caught. Mrs. Tweedy is unhappy because the farm isn't making much money. She decides to buy a big machine to turn all the chickens into meat pies.
One day, a rooster named Rocky Rhodes crash-lands into the farm. Ginger sees him and quickly hides him from the Tweedys. Rocky seems to be able to fly, which excites Ginger. She begs him to teach all the chickens how to fly away to freedom. Rocky agrees and starts giving them flying lessons. Meanwhile, Mr. Tweedy is busy building the pie-making machine.
Later, Rocky throws a party for the chickens. Ginger wants him to show them how to fly for real the next day. But Mr. Tweedy finishes the pie machine first. He puts Ginger inside for a test run! Luckily, Rocky saves her just in time. They now know they have to warn the others and escape very quickly.
The next day, Ginger finds out Rocky has left. He left behind a piece of a poster that shows he was a stunt rooster, shot from a cannon. He can't actually fly! This makes Ginger and the other chickens very sad. An old rooster named Fowler tries to cheer them up. He tells stories about his time in the Royal Air Force. This gives Ginger a brilliant idea: they can build a plane to fly away from the farm!
The chickens work together to build a plane using parts from around the farm. Mrs. Tweedy tells Mr. Tweedy to gather all the chickens for the pie machine. But when he comes into the coop, the chickens attack him! They tie him up and gag him while they finish their plane. Rocky then returns and joins them. As they take off, Mrs. Tweedy chases them. She climbs up a string of lights to stop them. Ginger quickly cuts the lights, sending Mrs. Tweedy falling into the pie machine. The machine explodes! The chickens continue flying until they find a safe island. There, they enjoy their freedom, and Ginger and Rocky become a couple.
Who Are the Voices?
- Julia Sawalha as Ginger: She is a smart hen who is determined to save her friends from the farm. She usually comes up with the best ideas.
- Mel Gibson as Rocky Rhodes: He is a cool American circus rooster who crash-lands on the farm. Ginger asks him to teach the chickens to fly.
- Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Tweedy: She is a very greedy and grumpy lady. She decides to turn her farm into a chicken pie factory to make more money.
- Tony Haygarth as Mr. Tweedy: He is Mrs. Tweedy's clumsy husband. He is mean to the chickens but is also more suspicious of their escape plans than his wife.
- Benjamin Whitrow as Fowler: An old rooster who loves to tell stories about his time in the Royal Air Force.
- Timothy Spall as Nick: A clever, chubby rat who helps the chickens by bringing them things they need.
- Phil Daniels as Fetcher: Nick's skinny and not-so-smart rat partner.
- Jane Horrocks as Babs: The biggest chicken. She is sweet, a bit silly, and loves to knit.
- Imelda Staunton as Bunty: She lays the most eggs and is the most doubtful about Ginger's escape plans.
- Lynn Ferguson as Mac: Ginger's super smart assistant from Scotland.
Music in the Movie
The music for Chicken Run was created by John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams. The soundtrack album was released on June 20, 2000.
What About a Sequel?
For many years, there was no talk of a sequel to Chicken Run. But on April 26, 2018, it was confirmed that a second movie was happening! Aardman Animations teamed up again with Pathé and StudioCanal. DreamWorks Animation, who helped with the first movie, was not involved this time. Sam Fell is directing the new movie, with Paul Kewley and Nick Park producing it. The original writers, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell, are also working on the sequel.
On June 23, 2020, which was the 20th anniversary of the first movie's release in the U.S., Netflix announced they had bought the rights to the sequel. Sam Fell shared more details about the story. The sequel will continue from where the first movie ended, with the chickens living safely on their new island. Ginger and Rocky's chick, Molly, starts to feel like the island is too small. Just then, news arrives about a new danger to chickens. Filming for the sequel was expected to start in 2021.
Aardman announced that Mel Gibson would not be returning to voice Rocky in the sequel. Another actor was chosen for the role. Also, Julia Sawalha, who voiced Ginger, shared that she would not be asked back either. She mentioned that the studio felt her voice sounded too old for the character now.
The Video Game
A video game based on the movie, also called Chicken Run, was released in November 2000. It's a 3D platformer game where you have to be sneaky. The game is a fun take on the movie The Great Escape, which is about escaping during World War II.
See also
In Spanish: Chicken Run para niños
