To celebrate 20 years to the day since the original was released, Netflix announced on Tuesday that it has swooped for the follow-up to the Aardman film. Production is set to begin next year.

Netflix tweeted: “POULTRY NEWS: Exactly 20 years to the day since the original was released, we can confirm there will be a Chicken Run sequel coming to Netflix!! Produced by @aardman, production is expected to begin next year. Eggsellent.”

Netflix has taken the rights to the sequel outside of China from Studiocanal and Pathé after Aardman first announced in 2018 that it was working with the companies on a second film.

The original starred Mel Gibson and Julia Sawalha as Rocky and Ginger, who led the escape efforts of a group of chickens, bidding to flee the clutches of Mrs Tweedy before she converts her farm into a chicken pot pie factory. The film secured BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations.

“Chicken Run‘s” follow-up finds Rocky and Ginger living in a human-free sanctuary, having hatched a little girl called Molly. But when the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat, they put their hard-won freedom at risk to save their species.

Sam Fell directs, while Peter Lord, Carla Shelley and Karey Kirkpatrick are executive producers. Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’ Farrell and Rachel Tunnard scripted the sequel. Steve Pegram is the producer.

Lord, Aardman co-founder and creative director, said: “Fans around the world have waited patiently for a sequel idea worthy of ‘Chicken Run’ so we’re delighted to announce, on the 20th anniversary, that we’ve found the perfect story. Netflix feels like the ideal creative partner for this project too: they celebrate the film-maker, which means we can make the film we want to make — the one we really care about — and share it with a global audience.”