Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (soundtrack)

In June 2023, it was announced that Harry Gregson-Williams would compose the film score for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.^[1] It was his fifth project for Aardman Animations after previously composing Chicken Run, Flushed Away (2006), Arthur Christmas (2011) and Early Man (2018). Notably, John Powell who had co-composed Chicken Run did not return for the sequel, thereby making Gregson-Williams as the sole composer; something which he did for the later instalments in the Shrek franchise. Gregson-Williams said that the film had "all the elements and characteristics of any Aardman film, with a lot of humor and a lot of heart. But at its core it's really a movie about a family being incredibly happy together, then being separated and then finding their way back together".^[2] As he liked the characters and having emotionally connected with it, he was delighted on composing music for the sequel.^[3]

The initial discussions with Sam Fell was to take thematic materials from the first film, which he and Powell co-composed; taking the strong themes and then develop it to the sequel, but also write new thematic materials for the new characters. He felt that revisiting the themes and melodies provided a "warm and fuzzy feeling".^[2] Likewise, he also recorded the choir with kazoos, as he did with the first film. The score had hints of Mission: Impossible themes, which served as the inspiration for this film, and also reworked the popular main theme in the crucial heist sequences. He used a waka waka guitar for the action themes, recorded saxophones, ukuleles and a balalaika, which was the main instrument for Mrs. Tweedy. Her theme was expanded from the first film which also utilized the same instrument.^[2][3]

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget soundtrack was released by Sony Masterworks on 15 December 2023, the same day as the film's Netflix release.^[4] The album featured 21 tracks from Gregson-Williams' score along with an original song "My Sweet Baby" performed by Paloma Faith.^[5]

Filmtracks wrote "The sequel's music is a competent and amicable extension of the same general sound but without those highlights, and listeners will find it tough to resist the urge to revisit the Chicken Run score to scratch the itches caused by this music."^[6] Nikki Baughan of Screen International wrote "The score, by returning composer Harry Gregson-Williams, is relaxed and lilting".^[7] Peter Debruge of Variety called it an "overly busy, occasionally Lalo Schifrin-inspired score".^[8]