Netflix Announces New Wallace & Gromit Movie, Chicken Run 2 With Last Of Us Star And Other Big Names

Netflix and Aardman are working together again on two additional films, including a new Wallace & Gromit movie and a sequel to Chicken Run.

The Wallace & Gromit film is being directed by Nick Park, the creator of Wallace & Gromit, and it's scheduled for release in 2024. The Chicken Run sequel is called Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and it's slated to debut in 2023.

Netflix first teamed up with Aardman for the movie Robin Robin, which was released in 2021.

For Dawn of the Nugget, Netflix said Aardman had been thinking about it for a long time but needed to find the "right story and the right partner." The movie is a comedy action-adventure, and its main characters Ginger and Rocky will be voiced by Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi, respectively.

Bella Ramsey, who starred in Game of Thrones and is also playing Ellie in HBO's The Last of Us series, will voice Ginger and Rocky's daughter, Molly. Some of the original cast from the first movie are returning as well, including Jane Horrocks (Babs), Imelda Staunton (Bunty), and Lynn Ferguson (Mac).

The rest of the cast includes Josie Sedgwick-Davies (Frizzle), David Bradley (Fowler), Romesh Ranganathan (Nick), Daniel Mays (Fetcher), and Nick Mohammed (Dr. Fry).

Sam Fell (Flushed Away and ParaNorman) is directing the movie, which is now under production.

"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," reads a line from the movie's description. "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!"

The original Chicken Run was released theatrically in 2000. It made about $225 million at the global box office against a reported budget of $45 million.

As for the new Wallace & Gromit film, Park is directing the film alongside Aardman creative director Merlin Crossingham. Mark Burton is attached to write. The movie doesn't have a title yet, but storyboarding is now underway, Netflix said. The film is projected to be released in 2024 on Netflix, except in the UK where it will arrive first on the BBC before joining the Netflix catalog.

"Gromit's concern that Wallace has become over-dependant on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a 'smart gnome' that seems to develop a mind of its own...As events spiral out of control, it falls to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces--or Wallace may never be able to invent again!" reads a line from the new film.

In addition to the Chicken Run sequel and the new Wallace & Gromit movie, Netflix said it is working with Aardman on "brand-new characters and stories to make the classics of tomorrow," Netflix said.

Aardman doesn't just make movies, as it's also developing a "mad, open-world" video game, too.