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The title of the film is a play on words, since a chicken run defines a confined area where chickens are allowed to run outdoors and also describes the objective of the chickens to escape their predicament.
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Chicken Run was to be Aardman Animations' first feature length production, which would be executive produced by Jake Eberts. Nick Park and Peter Lord, who run Aardman, co-directed the film, while Karey Kirkpatrick and Jack Rosenthal scripted the film. In December 1997, it was noted that David Sproxton was to also produce.