Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is set to see feathered freedom fighter Ginger come face to face with her former arch nemesis Mrs. Tweedy once again. According to director Sam Fell, though, the frightening farmer wasn't initially going to be in the Netflix sequel.
"We had a male villain first of all," Fell explains in the new issue of Total Film, which hits shelves next week. "We thought: new movie, new villain. Bond works that way. But the key was, thinking about Ginger as the central character. You think about Aliens – Ripley's haunted by what she went through. That shadow she has to inevitability face again just seems so deep and strong. So it came out of Ginger, needing to have the rematch."
Fans of the 2000 original got the surprise of their life when the Aardman animation's official trailer revealed Tweedy's comeback in September – and their delight only amplified when they released that Miranda Richardson was back voicing the blue-eyeshadowed baddie. In the follow-up, the maniacal Melisha has ditched Mr. Tweedy and teamed up with her new beau Dr. Fry (Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed), a tech-savvy scientist who'll stop at nothing to please his po-faced beloved.
While it's not touched on in the aforementioned promo, the new movie also sees Ginger (Thandiwe Newton, replacing Julia Sawalha) and Rocky (Zachary Levi, stepping in for Mel Gibson) become the newest poultry parents on the block. Looking after a little one proves harder than they expected, though, so the pair turn to long-time pals Babs, Mac, and more for help. Turns out, it doesn't take a village to raise a child, it takes a flock...
Joining Newton and Levi behind the scenes are fellow newbies Bella Ramsey, who voices Ginger and Rocky's daughter Molly, Romesh Ranganathan, and David Bradley, as well as returning players Jane Horrocks, Lynn Ferguson, and Imelda Staunton.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget releases on Netflix on December 15. For more from our interview with Fell, as well as chats with other film and TV names, pick up a copy of the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves on November 9. Check out the covers below:
Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy, or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. With our latest offer, you can get a JOBY Magnetic Wireless Charger worth £29.95 when you take out a print subscription.
