Chicken Run to Return to Theaters for 25th Anniversary
Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures have announced the 25th Anniversary nationwide theatrical re-release of the high-flying stop-motion animated adventure comedy, Chicken Run.
Created by the brilliant minds at the groundbreaking British animation studio Aardman, the landmark film will cluck back onto screens across the country on November 9 and November 12, 2025, for a special limited engagement.
Directed by three-time Oscar nominee Peter Lord (The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Wat’s Pig) and four-time Academy Award winner Nick Park—who garnered widespread acclaim for his “Claymation” short films Creature Comforts, followed by the Wallace & Gromit shorts The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave—Chicken Run represented Aardman Animation’s first full-length feature.
The story opens with plucky heroine Ginger (Absolutely Fabulous‘ Julia Sawalha) doing her best to escape the dire confines of the Tweedy Chicken Farm, though her attempts to flee all come to naught.
Her yearning for freedom takes on new urgency, however, after the cruel Mrs. Tweedy (Oscar nominee Miranda Richardson) decides to phase out her egg operation in favor of making meat pies. The move spells certain doom for Ginger and the other members of her flock.
It’s just then that an unlikely hero appears in the form of Rocky the Flying Rooster (Oscar-winning Mel Gibson). The American daredevil seems perfectly poised to teach Ginger and friends how to take to the skies, but there’s just one problem: Rocky’s aerial skills aren’t quite as impressive as they’re made out to be.
With no other choice, the resourceful birds are forced to use their wits to avoid winding up on a dinner plate—if they’re lucky, they might even manage to find happiness in greener pastures far away.
Initially presented by DreamWorks Pictures in association with Pathé International, Chicken Run was released on Jun 21, 2000, and enjoyed massive success, grossing more than $100 million in North America and $225 million worldwide. Critics raved about the cast’s endearing performances and how deftly Aardman wove wit and dark humor into the tapestry of a family-friendly adventure.
The film would go on to win the Critics’ Choice award for Best Animated Feature and, among its many accolades, the film received a pair of BAFTA Award nominations: as producers, Lord, Park and David Sproxton were nominated for the 2001 Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film, while Paddy Eason, Mark Nelmes, and Dave Alex Riddett earned a nomination for Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects.
Chicken Run‘s charm has proved enduring. Not only does it remain the highest-grossing stop motion animated film of all time, but it also recently spawned a sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, in 2023.
Tickets for the theatrical re-release of Chicken Run are now on sale and can be purchased here.
