Chicken Run Contests Results
(Aug 14, 2000)
Contest #1
- The Escape Plan
1st Place Winner: Gord
Prize: Signed book by the Directors of Chicken Run “Chicken Run: Hatching
the Movie”
2nd Place Winner:
Prize: Animation Artist T-Shirt
3rd Place Winner:
Prize: Animation Artist Tote Bag
Contest #2
- Create A New Chicken
1st Place Winner: Hennie Blaauw
Prize: Signed book by the Directors of Chicken Run “Creating 3D Animation”
2nd Place Winner:
Prize: Animation Artist T-Shirt
3rd Place Winner (Tied):
3rd Place Winner (Tied):
Prize: Animation Artist Tote Bag
Click Here to read winning entries.
Chicken Run Weekday Showings Strong
(June 28, 2000) Chicken Run made $2.6 million at the Box Office
on Monday and $2.8 million on Tuesday, a very strong weekday showing
for an animated film. Chicken Run could end up becoming the most
successful animated film DreamWorks has ever distributed. It already
holds the record for the best opening weekend of any DreamWorks distributed
film, topping ANTZ, The Prince of Egypt, and The Road to El
Dorado.
Chicken Run Showings
to Expand
(June 25, 2000) Chicken Run will be playing on 300-400 more screens
beginning this Friday, after a very successful opening weekend. Chicken
Run made $17.5 million for the weekend and is garnishing strong
word of mouth.
Chicken Run CD
Fun Pack Ships
(June 24, 2000) In conjunction with the release of Aardman Studios feature
film Chicken Run, Activision, Inc. will bring the fun of the
movie home with the Chicken
Run CD-ROM Fun Pack. The title began shipping yesterday and is available
in retail outlets across North America. The Chicken Run Fun Pack
has been rated "E" ("Everyone" -- content suitable for persons ages
six and older) by the ESRB and carries a suggested retail price of $19.99.
The Chicken Run Fun Pack allows children and families to become immersed in the Chicken Run world. Providing high-resolution graphics and animation, addictive gameplay and fun-filled activities, the title brings home the film's hilarity and excitement to show that bravery comes in all forms, even feathered.
"The Chicken Run CD-ROM Fun Pack offers a unique opportunity for fans of the film to continue their Chicken Run experience on their PC's," states Michael Pole, executive vice president of worldwide studios, Activision, Inc. "Players can enjoy clips from the movie, play awesome mini-games and customize their computer screen with cool film images."
The story of Chicken Run follows the antics of a loveable group of chickens trying to escape from their mundane battery farm existence. The chickens, led by the rough and ready newcomer Rocky (voiced by Mel Gibson) hatch a cunning plan to escape from the clutches of the menacing Mrs. Tweedy (voiced by Miranda Richardson) and her dreaded pie-making machine.
The Chicken Run Fun Pack includes such mini-games as "Spring Chicken," which allows players to guide the farmyard rats, Nick and Fletcher, as they stage a daring escape attempt, and "Run Chicken Run," in which players fly the coop as they guide the fleeing chickens to freedom. Fans of the film will get caught up in the farm-fresh thrills all over again as they watch a series of fantastic clips from the movie.
Additionally, the Fun Pack allows PC users to transform their computer desktops with clever Chicken Run-themed screen savers, customized Windows(R) icons and more. The pack also allows fans to use quirky accessories like an animated desk clock, or to play their own CDs using "Rocky's Radio." The Chicken Run Fun Pack was developed for Activision by the UK-based Absolute Studios.
Chicken Run has
Strong Friday Opening
(June 24, 2000) Chicken Run made $5.67 million on Friday to place
second place (under Me, Myself, and Irene) at the Box Office.
These are GREAT numbers, which mean that Chicken Run will make
AT LEAST $16 million for the weekend. On Friday, Chicken Run
averaged $2,277 per screen, playing on just 2,491 screens. The $5.67
million opening is the best ever for any DreamWorks distributed animated
film.
Chicken Run has
Strong Pre-Opening!
(June 23, 2000) Chicken Run opened on only six screens Wednesday
in Los Angeles and New York. If the early openings are any indication,
Chicken Run is in for a big haul. For its six screen opening,
Chicken Run garnished a 17th place ranking at the Box Office
with an impressive $7,888 per screen average. It opens throughout the
nation today in 2,600 theaters (in contrast, Titan A.E. last
weekend opened on 2,734 screens). What would be considered a great opening
for Chicken Run? Over $14 million would be considered a successful
opening weekend.
Chicken Run Chat
Today
The producers and directors of Chicken Run, Nick Park and Peter Lord,
will be conducting a live online chat today on Yahoo!. At 2:30PM EST
(11:30AM PST) log onto http://chat.yahoo.com/ in order to access the
event.
Aardman Studios
Looks to Future Feature Films
(June 22, 2000) With Chicken Run now playing in select cities,
Aardman Studios is now setting its sight on its next two claymation
films. Aardman has already been working on its 2002 feature, The
Tortoise and the Hare and will follow that up with a feature-length
version of Wallace & Gromit.
Chicken Run Characters
Promote Reading
(June 21, 2000) Rocky and Ginger, the claymation stars from Aardman
Studios' new film Chicken Run, are the latest movie tie ins to
be featured in an ad from the Newspaper Association of America that
promotes reading among young people.
The quarter-page black-and-white ad features Rocky and Ginger reading a newspaper, with the headline, "Encourage your children to read a newspaper every day. Don't be CHICKEN!" The body copy reads, "When you want to learn what is going on outside the fence, read a newspaper as soon as the sun comes up! Read everyday ... newspapers are eggsciting!" The ad closes with the familiar, "It all starts with newspapers" tagline.
"We're excited at the opportunity to promote reading among young people in such a delightful and unique way," said NAA Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer John E. Kimball. "Featuring these characters in ads promoting newspaper reading is a great way to make the connection that reading not only is important, but can be fun and surprising as well."
Slated to open June 23, Chicken Run is the first full-length film from Aardman Studios, home of the award-winning Wallace and Gromit, which is known for its distinctive clay animation technique.
NAA is a nonprofit organization representing the $57 billion newspaper industry and more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.
Hundreds Attend
Chicken Run Book Signing
(June 17, 2000) Hundreds of people attended a book signing by Peter
Lord and Nick Park yesterday evening at Storyopolis in Hollywood. Animation
Artist Magazine was in attendance at the event, held from 6PM to 8PM,
where the Aardman visionaries signed hundreds of books. The two are
in the U.S. to celebrate the premiere of Chicken Run, which hits U.S.
theaters on June 23, 2000.
Peter Lord and Nick Park sign books at Storyopolis.
(picture by Animation Artist Magazine)
At Storyopolis,
Lord and Park signed copies of "Chicken
Run:
Hatching the Movie" and "Creating
3D Animation: The Aardman Book of Filmmaking." Animation Artist
Magazine had one copy of each book signed by the filmmakers to give
away as a prize to two lucky Animation Artist Magazine readers. Two
new contests, one for each book, are currently in development and will
be announced next week in the Animation
Artist Newsletter.
Chicken Run Directors
to Appear at Book Signing!
(June 14, 2000) This Friday, June 16, at Storyopolis in Hollywood, LA
animation fans and families will have a rare opportunity to meet Nick
Park and Peter Lord, directors of Chicken Run. Visiting from
the U.K., Park is the multiple Academy Award®-winning director of the
Wallace & Gromit series, and Lord is one of the founders of the
prestigious Aardman Animations studio.
They will sign "Chicken Run: Hatching the Movie" by Brian Sibley, as well as "Creating 3D Animation: The Aardman Book of Filmmaking" by Sibley and Lord. There will be a special exhibit of puppets and props from the film, fun giveaways for everyone, and a raffle for those who purchase books (you must be present to claim prizes).
Storyopolis is located at 116 N. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles CA (between Beverly and Third) parking underneath building.. Call to RSVP (310) 358-2510.
Universal Studios
Opens Chicken Run Maze
(June 10, 2000) Universal Studios Hollywood today premiered a new attraction:
the Chicken Run Maze, based on the DreamWorks Pictures and Aardman Animations'
animated film, Chicken Run. The new attraction features an interactive
walk-through maze and a behind-the-scenes look at the wonders of clay
animation.
The exclusive Chicken Run Maze adventure begins in a re-created hen house where guests are treated to a special behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, including actual models and video monitors illustrating the magical and detailed process of clay animation. Behind-the-scenes footage features the voices of some of the film's stars, including Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha and Miranda Richardson.
Guests are transported through the great comedic escape, a plot hatched by the chickens to liberate themselves from the clutches of the sinister farmer, Mr. Tweedy. They retrace the chicken prints of the daring and spectacular escape plan, moving through a series of winding underground tunnels and finding themselves face to face with the farmer and his angry dog. Other challenges include a giant chicken pot pie machine and the dreaded Chicken Shredder Machine, a rotating tunnel in which guests elude the peril of whirling blades. After guests elude these dangers, they finally reach freedom at the Chicken Sanctuary.
The Chicken Run Maze is located adjacent to the Blues Brothers Stage at the entrance of the theme park.
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