Animated movies are some of the most popular films to hit theaters. Ever since the first animated film, Fantasmagorie, in 1908, animation has remained a powerful storytelling medium that has exploded in popularity and delivered everything from Disney classics like Snow White and Cinderella to more modern hits like the record-breaking Ne Zha. As Netflix’s own K Pop Demon Hunters continues to be a global sensation, one of the best animated movies of all time is about to leave the platform.
Chicken Run was a colossal success when it hit theaters in 2000, and it remains a classic more than two decades later. Created by Aardman Animations’ founders Peter Lord and Nick Park as the studio’s first feature-length film using their signature plasticine stop-motion technique, the movie centers around a group of chickens who attempt to make a great escape from the farm to avoid being turned into chicken pies. The movie, produced in partnership with DreamWorks Animation, is scheduled to leave Netflix on January 1st, but other Aardman movies like Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl will still be available to stream on the platform.
Chicken Run Is a Timeless Animated Classic
There’s really so much to love about Chicken Run. The entire film is a witty and surprisingly suspenseful parody of iconic war films like The Great Escape, and it’s packed with great characters, plenty of memorable lines (like Babs’ “I don’t want to be a pie!”), and a mix of humor that lands on multiple levels and is great for all ages. More than just being a genuinely good and entertaining movie with high stakes, the movie is a masterpiece of craft, the underdog story brought to life through Aardman’s handmade claymation style that allowed for intricate detail and expressive character movements.
The movie was a bigger success than anyone could have imagined. “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a 97% critic rating, Chicken Run was a critical darling, earning rave reviews from critics and audiences alike and even inspiring the creation of the Best Animated Feature category at the Academy Awards. Although the category’s creation in 2001 meant Chicken Run didn’t take home the award, the first-ever of which went to fellow DreamWorks title Shrek in 2002, Chicken Run enjoyed plenty of other success, including at the box office. The movie grossed $228 million worldwide and remains the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time.
Where to Stream Chicken Run After It Leaves Netflix?
Chicken Run is running off of Netflix and off of streaming altogether. The iconic animated movie isn’t available outside of Netflix, and it hasn’t been included on any other major streaming platform’s January 2026 lineup, meaning fans of Chicken Run only have a few more days to watch the film before it stops streaming entirely. Following its Netflix departure, the only ways to view Chicken Run will be physical copies or renting or purchasing online, but it is possible that the film will reappear on streaming sometime down the line.
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