Sam Fell, the director of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, revealed that it was Zachary Levi’s performance in Shazam! that really locked in the role of Rocky in the long-awaited stop-motion sequel. Levi stepped in to take over the role from Mel Gibson, one of a handful of characters recast for the film. In an interview with ComicBook.com, Fell described what made Levi the right fit for the role, saying that the actor’s energy and comic timing are excellent, and also pointing out that there’s something to be said for voice actors who can sing — even if the part itself isn’t musical.
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Levi overcame a fairly substantial obstacle in playing the role, which is that when Chicken Run came out in 2000, Gibson was one of the most bankable stars in America, and the cocky, famous character of Rocky felt like it could have been inspired by the idea of Gibson playing a version of himself. Reshaping a part like that can’t be easy.
“I always close my eyes and listen, actually, because you’re not going to get the face,” Fell told ComicBook.com. “Shazam! was my real lynchpin. I’m a Tangled fan anyway. I mean. He has got great comic timing, he’s got fabulous delivery, he’s got perfect energy, he’s a great improviser. To me, he has a tremendous warmth. But to me, watching his timing in Shazam!, it is so on the money.”
“Also, I think the singing is important,” Fell added. “I worked with Hugh Jackman on Flushed Away. He can sing as well. Something about an actor who can sing, when you get them into a voice recording, you can benefit from that. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s a kind of musicality…and the animators love it; it guides the animation.”
Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
From the multi Academy and BAFTA award-winning Aardman (Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep), and Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated director Sam Fell (ParaNorman and Flushed Away, respectively), comes Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the eagerly anticipated sequel to the beloved and highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time, Chicken Run.
Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has finally found her dream — a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, Ginger’s happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk — this time, they’re breaking in!
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is now available to stream on Netflix.
