Chicken Run 2: Dawn of the Nuggetbrought theAardman Animation franchiseback to screens after 23 years, but it didn’t come back without some controversial recasting choices. The original movie starred a stunning voice cast which included Mel Gibson and Julia Sawalha as the leads Rocky and Ginger respectively, but both were replaced in the sequel, making way for Zachary Levi and Thandiwe Newton taking over the duties of bringing life to the two characters.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
In arecent interview with MovieWeb, directorSam Felladdressed thecriticisms made against the film by Sawalha, who called out the movie for being “ageist” when recasting the lead roles. When asked why it had felt necessary to replace Gibson and Sawalha, Fell explained:
“As a new director coming in, it’s always been to figure out how they evolved from the first movie, which I completely adore. Many people adore it and, in my mind, it’s a masterpiece. How do I evolve this thing into making it 23 years later, a new movie for a new generation, a new era? It was a slow process. To be honest, no snap decisions were made. I began getting a casting director for Molly. I found Bella [Ramsey], Dr. Fry, and all the new characters. I don’t want to make a carbon copy of the first movie. Time has passed. The characters have changed. The stories have changed. It’s not a romantic comedy between Rocky and Ginger anymore. I looked at every single character and certain names popped out.”
Related:Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Cast & Character Guide
Chicken Run 2’s Mel Gibson and Julia Sawalha Replacements Were Chosen for a Reason.
While there were some feathers ruffled by the recasting of the lead roles, Fell had his reasons for choosing the two actors that replaced Gibson and Sawalha – mainly that he had been drawn to them through the previous roles he had seen them in. He continued:
Zachary Levi popped out to me because of Shazam. That was a classic family movie. His performance was amazing. He’s warm, he’s funny, and his timing is impeccable. Rocky is this hapless, more comical father. I felt that Zachary was a great fit for that. Similarly, Thandiwe popped out to me because of Westworld, which I was deeply immersed in. There’s a new dimension in Ginger. There’s a vulnerability that comes with being a parent. She didn’t have anything to lose. She was a very serious character. Now she’s a more vulnerable character, torn between protecting your child and remembering who you once were. I saw that strength and vulnerability internally in Newton’s performance in Westworld. She just jumped out to me as a great idea for Ginger. I was in my zone, making my decisions about my movie. I felt like it was a fair thing for a director to be doing. I see this as a reboot as much as a sequel, personally.
Chicken Run 2: Dawn of the Nuggetis available to stream now exclusively through Netflix.
