Aardman are making a sequel to hit film Chicken Run.

According to a film industry publication, the animation studio has begun development on the project, a sequel to the multi-award-winning 2000 comedy.

The original film was the first feature-length production from the company behind Wallace & Gromit and Shaun The Sheep, and to date remains the most successful stop-motion animated movie ever released.

It was directed by company founder Peter Lord and Wallce & Gromit creator Nick Park, the former of whom will act as executive producer on the new production, alongside co-founder David Sproxton.

Pathe, UK distributors of the original film, have joined Aardman on the project, as well as STUDIOCANAL, who have been behind more recent releases including Shaun The Sheep Movie and Early Man, which hit cinemas earlier this year.

The project is understood to be in early stages of development and so few further details are yet available, but the writer of the first film, Karey Kirkpatrick, and comic John O'Farrell, are understood to be writing the script. Sam Fell is currently attached to direct the film.

The original starred the vocal talents of Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha and Phil Daniels, plus the likes of Imelda Staunton and Timothy Spall. A family comedy, it spoofed war film The Great Escape in seeing a group of chickens attempting to gain freedom from the Yorkshire farm in which they lived as egg producers.

Yet to be formally announced, the length of time involved in creating Aardman productions - animated frame-by-frame with modelling clay - means it is not likely to be in cinemas until 2020 or 2021 at the earliest.

The company is currently finishing production on another sequel, Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, which has been delayed from April to Autumn 2019. Chicken Run 2 will then be their next cinematic release.