Disney
When you’re a child, one of the worst feelings in the world is not being taken seriously — and that’s a topic that’s covered quite a bit in the Disney film Chicken Little. The 2005 movie was popular for a few reasons. For one, it’s loosely based around the popular children’s fable. Secondly, it’s listed as being the first fully computer-animated movie from Disney that had nothing to do with Pixar. And third, it had an all-star vocal cast, from Zach Braff to Patrick Stewart.
It also came around the time when Disney was in a slump, having released a slew of movies that weren’t attracting an audience. Chicken Little was the hit that they needed to help revamp their brand and the stories they told.
But, while it was big in 2005, you may have missed it when it initially came out. Chicken Little is streaming online, all thanks to Disney+, which means that you won’t have to look for a DVD in order to give it a watch. And if you like movies with alien invasions? Chicken Little may surprise you. Here’s how to watch Chicken Little online.
How to Stream ‘Chicken Little’ – Exclusively on Disney+
Chicken Little is one of the fan-favorite Disney original movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Chicken Little and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Chicken Little”
- 5. Tap on “Chicken Little”
- 6. Tap the PLAY button
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
‘Chicken Little’: Overview
Release Date: 2005
Creators: Screenplay by Steve Bencich, Ron Anderson, and Ron J. Friedman
Director: Mark Dindal
Starring: Zach Braff, Joan Cusack, Garry Marshall, Patrick Stewart
Rating: G
Synopsis: After bringing the town to a panic, Chicken Little isn’t the most popular kid in the neighborhood. But when he strongly believes something bad is happening, he won’t let his reputation stop him from getting people to take him seriously.
How Long Is ‘Chicken Little’?
Chicken Little is 81 minutes long.
‘Chicken Little’ Plot
Chicken Little lives in a town called Oakey Oaks. One day, he sees something fall from the sky — in his eyes, it somewhat resembles a stop sign. When he tries to warn the town by pulling the alarm, the community becomes frustrated, as he has no proof that anything happened. Assuming it was just an acorn, Chicken Little becomes the laughingstock of the town, and it eventually makes him depressed. Still, he sticks by his story. A year later, a similar incident happens, and he realizes he’s actually getting hit by a device that camouflages into the environment. After doing some research, he believes that the device was sent by aliens. The problem is, nobody believes him.
‘Chicken Little’ Cast
Chicken Little had an impressive vocal cast. Here are the people who helped make the movie possible.
Zach Braff as Chicken Little
Zach Braff, known best for being on Scrubs, plays the main role of Chicken Little. According to Braff, things came together very easily — he was interested in voicing a character, and Disney put together a film that he saw as being smart and funny. As time went on, aspects of Braff — like his facial expressions —were animated into the character.
Garry Marshall as Buck Cluck
Speaking of Braff, he noted that he improved with Garry Marshall a bit during the movie to see if other lines would work for their characters. Buck Cluck is Chicken Little’s father, and even though he tries to be a good parent, he also has an anxious side to him. According to Fandom, Martin Sheen was reportedly being considered for the role before they gave it to Marshall.
Don Knotts as Mayor Turkey Lurkey
Don Knotts plays Mayor Turkey Lurkey, the mayor of Oakey Oaks. The character isn’t the most competent but still adds humor to the film, especially since he needs cue cards to even remember to smile and wave at big events.
Patrick Stewart as Mr. Woolensworth
Mr. Woolensworth is Chicken Little’s teacher. Since Patrick Stewart had to turn down other Disney vocal acting roles based on his schedule, such as Jafar and Cogsworth, he’s likely glad that he finally got a chance to work on an animated Disney picture.
Amy Sedaris as Foxy Loxy
Amy Sedaris plays Foxy Loxy, a student at school who’s not the nicest person to either Chicken Little or his friend Abby Mallard. But, she’s a confident female character who adds a lot to the story. Sedaris also voices Princess Carolyn in BoJack Horseman and provided the voice of Jill in Puss In Boots.
Joan Cusack as Abby Mallard
Abby Mallard plays the “ugly duckling” friend of Chicken Little, named Abby Mallard. She’s also got a secret crush on him. Joan Cusack is no stranger to Disney. She also voices Jessie in the Toy Story films.
‘Chicken Little’ Songs and Soundtrack
Chicken Little has an interesting soundtrack. The biggest songs include “Stir It Up” sung by Patti LaBelle and Joss Stone, “One Little Slip” by The Barenaked Ladies, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” by R.E.M., and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” which plays over the end credits.
‘Chicken Little’ at the Box Office
On opening weekend, Chicken Little reportedly showed at 3,654 theaters and made $40,049,778. Worldwide, the film had a total gross of $314,432,837.
‘Chicken Little’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
Even though the film did well, and many people thought it was humorous, critics weren’t overly in love with Chicken Little. The movie has a 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics finding it to be disappointing and dull. “Alas, no amount of pop-culture in-jokes and cutesy characters can conceal the fact there isn’t enough story to sustain a film even of this limited duration,” BBC writer Neil Smith said, giving it a two out of five star rating. The audience reviews were also a bit tepid, mostly because of the fact that the movie incorporated aliens. To enjoy the movie to the fullest, you need to remember that the story doesn’t completely follow the fable.
Where ‘Chicken Little’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
Chicken Little was a fun movie for kids at that time with an array of different characters, but in comparison to Disney’s other movies, it seems to fall flat. It could be because the movie faced a lot of total rewrites. For one, the initial movie had Chicken Little as a female character, until producers changed it around. It was initially developed in 2001, revised in 2003, and reportedly needed the help of 13 writers. That said, the movie may not have been stitched together as well as it should have.
‘Chicken Little’ Trailer
‘DISNEY MOVIE’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
[Brief intro to segue into the list below
1. Chicken Little was originally a female character.
Not only that, but Holly Hunter had already signed on and provided the work. “I’d heard Holly Hunter was going to be Chicken Little,” Braff said to Entertainment Weekly when questioned about it. ”But they decided to make Chicken Little a boy. Someone pointed out to me that technically a chicken has to be a female. You’d be amazed how much people read into these things.”
2. The voice of the character “Fish Out Of Water” was achieved in an intriguing way.
His voice was provided by Dan Molina, who was the editor of the film. Since you couldn’t really understand Fish Out Of Water due to his aquatic headgear, it only makes sense that the film wouldn’t hire on a more well-known actor. Molina reportedly recorded his audio by vocalizing through a tube that went right into a full water cooler tank.
3. This reportedly was the last theatrical Disney movie released on VHS tape
Remember VHS? Back in the ’80s, it was the best way to watch movies. Eventually, that was replaced by DVDs, which are now getting replaced by streaming technology (such as Disney+.) Chicken Little was the last theatrical Disney movie to get a VHS release, and it was released on March 21, 2006. The last Disney VHS, in general, was Bambi II, according to SlashFilm.
4. A sequel was in the works years ago.
It was called Chicken Little: The Ugly Duckling Story. People seemed to be on board, but then something huge happened over at Disney — John Lasseter took over as head of Walt Disney Studios Animation and abruptly canceled all of the sequels that were in the midst of development, including this one. ScreenRant reports that the storyboards and script were done, and the movie focused on a love triangle between Abby Mallard, Chicken Little, and Raffaela, a French sheep that was new in school. They also stated that one of the reasons why Lasseter was upset about the sequels was since Dumbo II was being planned, and the original was one of his favorites. It’s a noble reason, as nobody wants to destroy the classics. Supposedly a Chicken Little sequel is now in development, but not much is known about it, and it’s unclear if the original voice actors will be back.
5. Around 40 people auditioned for the role of Chicken Little.
Zach Braff had a lot of competition. Director Mark Dindal admitted that there was something special Braff did during the audition that made him stand out — he tried hard to change his voice a little to properly fit the character. “He came in for an audition along with, like, 40 other people, but the moment we heard him, he was just so right-on,” Dindal said, per MTV. “He pitched his voice slightly to sound like a junior high kid. Right there, that was really unique — and then he had such great energy.”