The Birds are Back with 'Chicken Run 2'

Co-founder Peter Lord has turned Aardman into an employee-owned studio. JOE KLAMAR / AFP
Co-founder Peter Lord has turned Aardman into an employee-owned studio. JOE KLAMAR / AFP
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The Birds are Back with 'Chicken Run 2'

Co-founder Peter Lord has turned Aardman into an employee-owned studio. JOE KLAMAR / AFP
Co-founder Peter Lord has turned Aardman into an employee-owned studio. JOE KLAMAR / AFP

A sequel to the hit animated film "Chicken Run" was inevitable, its makers told AFP, for the simple reason that chickens are just too funny.
"We don't exactly have a list but there's a clear understanding at Aardman that some animals are funny and some aren't," said Peter Lord, co-founder of the British studio behind such beloved stop-motion creations as "Wallace and Gromit" and "Shaun the Sheep".
"Chickens are fundamentally funny creatures, aren't they," Lord told AFP.
"But horses aren't. Sorry, horses, but you're just too beautiful to be funny."
"Chicken Run 2: Dawn of the Nugget" streams on Netflix from Friday, more than 20 years after the original hit about a group of chickens trying to break out of their farm.
This time, the task is reversed as heroes Ginger and Rocky must break into a nugget factory to rescue their headstrong daughter, voiced by "The Last of Us" breakout star Bella Ramsey.
"'Chickens' is just a funny word, too," said director Sam Fell.
"You can add it to anything -- 'The Great Escape' with chickens, 'Mission: Impossible' with chickens... it always works."
The new film does indeed take inspiration from the Tom Cruise franchise, as well as James Bond, as the chickens try to infiltrate a ludicrously over-the-top, high-tech nugget factory that resembles a Bond villain's lair.
It's all "spectacularly weird", promises Lord.
Are there any ideas that were too weird even for an Aardman film?
"There was a cock-fighting sub-plot at one point. It was a funny notion. I did a drawing of Rocky wearing Rocky Balboa's shorts. I thought it was funny, but it was a bit weird even for us," said Lord.
Employee-owned studio
As always, it has been painstaking work.
Each animator -- the film used up to 30 at a time -- can only shoot about four seconds per week.

"If we get two minutes done in a week it's a massive celebration," said Fell.
Animation technology has improved immensely since the original in 2000, but Aardman likes to keep the handmade feel and "build as much as we possibly can".
The exception was for scenes with lots of chickens at once, where they used computer effects to create the background poultry -- "otherwise, we'd still be filming it now", said Fell.
Asked what makes a good animator, he said they tend to be "patient and insular".
"At heart, they're actors, but they're very shy actors, and they'd rather do it quietly in a small space with a puppet, away from everybody else," he added.
One thing that helps create a sense of community at the Bristol-based studio is that it was recently turned into a trust owned by its employees.
"We could have sold it to some media giant and made a shed-load of money," said Lord. "But then what? They'd sell it on, and eventually the thing that is so precious to us would become a commodity for other people to asset strip."
"Chicken Run 2" was the first film made under the new arrangement, and Fell said the feeling was tangible.
"I did feel there was that spirit in the crew every day of pride, of showing what we can do and giving it to the world," he said.



Bet Awards 2024: Usher Is Honored, Will Smith Returns, and the Election is Top of Mind

Usher accepts the Lifetime Achievement award during the BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Usher accepts the Lifetime Achievement award during the BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Bet Awards 2024: Usher Is Honored, Will Smith Returns, and the Election is Top of Mind

Usher accepts the Lifetime Achievement award during the BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Usher accepts the Lifetime Achievement award during the BET Awards on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Usher accepted the lifetime achievement award at the 2024 BET Awards - even if the superstar mused it might be a bit early.
The Grammy winner stayed on his feet as a parade of artists performed his hits - Childish Gambino kicked it off with "U Don´t Have to Call," joined by Keke Palmer, who took the lead on "You Make Me Wanna..." Coco Jones appeared in the audience for a sultry rendition of "There Goes My Baby," serenading Usher and his wife Jenn Goicoechea, The Associated Press said.
Summer Walker hit the stage for "Good Good," Tinashe did "Nice & Slow," Marsha Ambrosius tackled "Superstar" and Chlöe performed "Good Kisser." Teyana Taylor and Victoria Monét teamed up for "Bad Girl," mirroring Usher and Beyoncé´s choreography from their performance of the song. Latto brought the energy for "Yeah!" In some ways, the homage underscored the women that carried much of the night - dominating the performances.
After introductions by Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, Usher accepted the award from music executive L.A. Reid.
"Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it," Usher began his lengthy speech, reflecting on his career, which has spanned over three decades. He questioned the timing, saying, "I´m still running and gunning and I still love this (expletive) like I did when I was 8 years old," he said.
Much of his speech couldn't be heard to audiences at home because it was censored.
"I forgive each and every person who had anything to say negative about me because it only motivated me to be who I am," he said at one point.
Earlier in the night, Will Smith stood in a circle of fire - joined by Fridayy and the gospel choir Sunday Service - to make the live debut of his latest single, "You Can Make It."
"I don´t know who needs this right now," Smith opened his set. "But I am here to tell you, you can make it."
Mid-way through, Kirk Franklin joined, and then two rapped together. "Nobody gets an easy ride," Smith, who is in the midst of his comeback from slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars two years ago, told the room. "There is wisdom in that fire. Dance in your darkest moments."
The forthcoming presidential election was a huge topic of conversation throughout the show. After Childish Gambino presented Killer Mike with the album of the year award for "Michael," the rapper used his acceptance speech to address his Grammys arrest and voting.
"Technically, I was not supposed to be here. I was put in handcuffs, and I was marched out of this building. But I want to tell you, look at God. ´Cause I´m back, baby. I´m back and I´m winning," he said in his speech. Killer Mike was arrested at the Grammys earlier this year over a physical altercation he said was caused by an "over-zealous" security guard; he was not charged over the incident.
"They going to tell you who we vote for is important," he continued his speech, "And it is who we vote for on the big stage. It´s important, but it´s more important you know who your city council person is, who your prosecutor is."
Megan Thee Stallion opened the show by emerging from an egg - a metaphor for her a new musical rebirth - before diving into with an energetic medley of her new singles "Hiss" and "Boa."
"BET, Where my girls at?" she said, shouting out Monét and Jones in the crowd before launching into "Where Them Girls At" - a track that's been an immediate fan favorite since Friday's release of her third studio album, "Megan."
Taraji P. Henson hosted the show at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Her opening monologue was a performance, Henson rapping "It's about us," in a loose parody of Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," which he released in the midst of his reignited feud with Drake.
"No beef in here tonight," she joked, "Can we say plant-based?"
Tyla, the Johannesburg , South African amapiano superstar, won two honors on the show, starting with best international act.
Later in the night, she'd take home the award for best new artist. "This is crazy," she said. "I just want to dedicate this one to Africa."
Monét, who earlier this year won the Grammy for best new artist, made her BET debut and set a high bar for performances, condensing a full set into a few mins with three costume changes and a pair of songs, "On My Mama" and "Alright."
Then Sexyy Red took the stage, performing her smooth bedroom ballad "U My Everything" before moving to another stage and a costume change - tackling "Get It Sexyy" in front of an LED screen depicting the White House and dancers dressed like the Secret Service.
The show took a tonal shift when VanVan and Heiress Harris, two child rappers, their empowerment anthem "Be You" in a school room set. Harris is the daughter of rapper T.I. and singer Tiny Harris.
Best female R&B/pop artist went to SZA and best actress to Regina King, both of whom were not in attendance; the BET HER award went to Monét for "On My Mama." She brought her mother up to accept it.
Country musician Tanner Adell brought her "Buckle Bunny" and her new song, "Cowboy Break My Heart." GloRilla emerged from above, descending to join her dancers for "Yeah Glo!" and "Wanna Be" - the latter of which saw a surprise appearance from Megan Thee Stallion. Shaboozey kept the country coming with "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" and was joined by rapper J-Kwon, who appears on the track, creating an unexpected and rewarding collaboration across genres.
Lauryn Hill closed the night, beginning with "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" going into "Lost Ones," before introducing her son YG Marley for his reggae tracks "Survival" and "Praise Jah In The Moonlight." Best of all: Wyclef Jean appeared, and the trio - in front of a full-band - performed Fugees´ "Fu-Gee-La." Pras, the third member of Fugees, was not present. The rapper, who was accused in multimillion-dollar political conspiracies spanning two presidencies, was convicted in April.