Aardman Animations’ fearless fowls return in a fantastic sequel that will delight all ages. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget lands on Netflix 23 years after the classic original. Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) and Rocky (Zachary Levi) have found poultry paradise on an isolated island. They have a precocious daughter, Molly (Bella Ramsey), who refuses to be cooped up. She’s accidentally whisked away to Fun-Land, a meat factory deviously masquerading as a chicken utopia. Ginger, Rocky, and the gang launch a rescue mission, but are soon beak to face with their mortal enemy, Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson).

Zachary Levi replaces Mel Gibson as the voice of Rocky. He “was a big fan of the first movie” and had no reservations about the lead rooster role. Renowned animation director Sam Fell, per our previous interview, cast Levi after his “warm and funny” blockbuster turn in Shazam! Levi wasn’t afraid of any blowback from Gibson; he jokingly replies that “Mel’s doing just fine and busy with lots of other stuff.” Levi was proud to be a part of the film. He extols Aardman Animations as a “really class act” and Fell as “wonderful” with “the patience of Job.” Levi “envisioned” the final product and knew what the filmmakers “were capable of.”

Levi credits the script as “a testament to the incredible writing first and foremost.” He still considers it “a miracle that any movie gets made” and respects the privilege of being a successful actor: “I get paid to be a knucklehead, just like a total yuck-yuck […] and with voiceover, I don’t even have to go through hair and makeup or wardrobe. I just get to show up, unshowered and unshorn, and put on a voice. There are people literally digging ditches for a living. I think perspective is important.” Read on for our complete interview with the hilarious Zachary Levi, and check out the video above.

Replacing Mel Gibson

MovieWeb: How did you get involved in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget?

Zachary Levi: How did I get there? Man, I don’t know, by the grace of God. I was a big fan of the first movie. They came to me and said, we’re making a Chicken Run 2. It was already music to my ears. Then they follow that with, “We’d like you to play Rocky.” Please sign me up. Let’s go!

MW: You replaced Mel Gibson as the voice of Rocky. Were you ever worried Mel Gibson was hiding behind a bush waiting to get you?

Zachary Levi: I think that Mel’s doing just fine and busy with lots of other stuff.

MW: Do you think this film will teach kids about where their food comes from?

Zachary Levi: Maybe, yeah, I don’t know. Listen, I think that there’s no reason why we can’t make great entertainment that also educates people, and even in little ways, and big ways, and whatever. So, if there are good lessons for kids, or adults for that matter, that can be gleaned from this really delightful film, then I’m all about it.

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MW: What’s it like doing voiceover for Aardman Animations and director Sam Fell compared to the other animated films you’ve done?

Zachary Levi: I just think that they’re a really class act all the way through, as a studio and as an organization. Sam was wonderful, just the patience of Job with me, rambling through all of my dialogue and trying to bring it to life, but was so encouraging and allowed me to kind of riff and improvise here and there. He was just a fantastic collaborator. He knew what he wanted. And when he didn’t know what he wanted, he was kind of open. He would say, “I’m not really sure.” We tried different things sometimes […] so there was an openness to it. It was open dialogue and collaboration, and then just trying to ultimately find what serves the moment best, whether it’s a more dramatic moment or a more comedic one.

MW: What were the best and worst days for you while making Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget?

Zachary Levi: Best and worst day, oh, I don’t know man. They’re all the best. There’s really no bad day doing voiceover. I mean, I’m getting paid — first of all, as an actor, I get paid to be a knucklehead, just like a total yuck-yuck, the spaz that I’ve always been, just getting to entertain people. It’s so much fun. And with voiceover, I don’t even have to go through hair and makeup or wardrobe. I just get to show up, unshowered and unshorn, and put on a voice. I guess if anything, the most difficult part of that is when you’re doing all of your yelling and efforts, all that stuff can fry your voice a little bit, but I’m sorry, that’s not all that difficult. There are people literally digging ditches for a living. You know what I mean? I think perspective is important.

Sam Fell’s Wonderful Direction
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MW: You’re not acting with any of your co-stars. You’re in the recording booth, but there’s great chemistry with the cast. How did Sam Fell get that out of you and everyone?

Zachary Levi: I think it’s a testament to the incredible writing first and foremost, right? It’s got to be on the page. And then it’s a testament to how well they cast this movie. I love bringing characters to life, even with just my voice. I love being able to look at great writing and break it down, and understand where the joke is, and understand where the inflections are, then just doing it. I feel pretty good about my abilities to do that.

Zachary Levi: And then, when you have the tutelage, the direction of someone like Sam to guide you, he’s the one who hears everyone’s performance. I’m only really hearing my own voice. Every once in a while, I might get a little guide track if somebody else’s recorded the scene prior, but even that’s very minimal. It’s really just knowing what the words are, going after what’s on the page, and then allowing Sam to make the slight adjustments that you need, trusting in that process.

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MW: I imagine you recorded dialogue for this a while back, and then Aardman spends years doing their animation magic. When you finally saw the film, were you surprised by the final product?

Zachary Levi: None of it surprised me, honestly. I already knew what they were capable of from the first film. I could imagine as we were recording it. I was envisioning what all of it would be, plus I even got to see certain animatics or whatever along the way. It all blew my mind. It’s a miracle that any movie gets made. So just watching a finished product of a movie kind of blows your mind. But with voiceover, it never ceases to amaze me that they’re able to cobble together all these various elements, all these different voices, that we didn’t get to work together in the room really ever. Then they work so that it fits and all works together. I think all of that’s very impressive.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is available to stream exclusively on Netflix.

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