It’s been more than two decades, but we are finally getting a sequel to “Chicken Run.” The new trailer for “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” just dropped, and it’s giving us major Y2K nostalgia.
All of our favorite characters from the 2000 original are back, including Ginger, Rocky, Babs, Bunty and, of course, mice Nick and Fetcher. Even Mrs. Tweedy is back as the villain who loves chicken pies.
However, some of the voice actors have changed. Fetcher, originally voiced by Phil Daniels, and Nick, originally voiced by Timothy Spall, have been replaced by Daniel Mays and Romesh Ranganathan, respectively.
Also, Ginger is no longer voiced by Julia Sawalha. Instead, the plucky hen will now be voiced by Thandiwe Newton (known for her roles on HBO’s “Westworld” and “Mission: Impossible II”).
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Sawalha says she was replaced for sounding “too old” for the role of Ginger. In a 2020 thread on Twitter, now deleted, the 54-year-old “Absolutely Fabulous” actor shared her anger and frustration over being cast out of the role she made famous.
“The reason they gave is that my voice now sounds ‘too old’ and they want a younger actress to reprise the role,” she wrote, Sky News reported at the time. “To say I am devastated and furious would be an understatement. I feel totally powerless, something in all of this doesn’t quite ring true. I trust my instincts and they are waving red flags.”
Sawalha had even posted a clip of herself in the sound booth, showing that her voice hasn’t aged and she still sounds the same. In the end, however, producers stuck with their decision to move on to Newton, who is 50.
In addition, Mel Gibson got the axe, replaced by Zachary Levi (who has starred in Marvel’s “Shazam!” movies and NBC’s “Chuck” series) in the role of Rocky.
“Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” will debut next month at the London Film Festival. The sequel will then air on Netflix starting Dec. 15, just in time for holiday binge-watching with the family.
In the meantime, you can watch the trailer for “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget”:
Are you ready for this sequel?
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