50 Fun Facts About Chicken Little

Who voices Chicken Little?

He beat about forty actors by pitching his voice slightly to sound like a junior-high kid.

What is the name of the town where the film is set?

The aliens later admit they came to the town for its acorns.

What does Buck assume actually hit his son on the head?

It was really a camouflage panel from an invisible alien ship.

Which sport does Chicken Little take up to restore his reputation?

His father Buck "Ace" Cluck had been a high school star in the same sport.

What is Abby Mallard's nickname?

Joan Cusack won the role for her natural comedy over names like Jodie Foster and Madonna.

What does Fish wear in order to breathe on land?

Dan Molina voices the goldfish who lives on the surface.

Who voices Runt of the Litter?

Goodman, Garrett and Carrey were all considered before Zahn was cast.

Who voices Chicken Little's father, Buck Cluck?

Marshall said, "You want a chicken that talks like me, fine," after being cut from The Emperor's New Groove for being "too New York".

Who voices Foxy Loxy?

In the original fable and the 1943 short, Foxy is a male fox.

Turkey Lurkey holds what office in the town?

He is voiced by Don Knotts in his final film appearance during his lifetime.

What is the name of the orange alien child left behind?

The "invasion" turns out to be his parents searching for him.

What are the aliens really doing to the townsfolk they seem to vaporize?

Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, the apologetic aliens put everything back.

Who voices Ace, the Hollywood movie-star version of Chicken Little?

The in-universe movie at the end retells the events with Chicken Little as an action hero.

Which Star Trek captain voices the teacher Mr. Woolensworth?

Wallace Shawn plays Principal Fetchit and Patrick Warburton the Alien Cop.

Who directed Chicken Little?

He also voices Morkubine Porcupine and the Coach.

Which European folk tale loosely inspired the film?

Disney had already adapted the tale as a short film in 1943.

What milestone did the film mark for Disney Animation?

It was animated in-house at the studio's Burbank headquarters.

The film was the first mainstream release in which format?

About 100 theaters worldwide were fitted with new projectors to screen it.

Roughly how much did the film gross worldwide?

That made it the second-highest-grossing animated film of 2005.

Which actress voiced the original female Chicken Little for eight months?

The early story had her going to summer camp to reduce her anxiety.

Which Disney chief demanded the title character be changed to a boy?

Dindal recalled being told girls would see a film with a boy lead but not vice versa — "until Frozen comes out".

Which magician was to voice the villainous camp counselor in the early version?

The counselor was plotting against the heroine's hometown.

Which film had Dindal and producer Randy Fullmer just finished before starting this one?

Composer John Debney had also worked with Dindal on that film.

Who replaced Thomas Schumacher as Feature Animation president and demanded a rewrite?

His first day coincided with a test screening that left him thinking, "Oh my God! What am I going to do?"

How many scenes were thrown out during the rewrite?

Dindal said it took about two and a half years "to pretty much get back to where we started".

Which actor was first announced for the role that later became Abby Mallard?

Variety reported his casting in April 2002.

Who replaced Katie Finneran as the voice of Goosey Loosey midway through production?

Walton was a Disney storyboard artist.

In which country was Buck Cluck redubbed by a local comedian, Mark Mitchell?

Disney wanted a national celebrity to publicize the film there.

Which company ran the 18-month CG training program for Disney's animators?

Half of Disney's 2D staff were moved to a CGI team and introduced to Alias's Maya software.

Which Goofy cartoon inspired the characters' fluidity of motion?

Dindal wanted the "roundness" of Disney's 1940s–50s work.

Roughly how many individual feathers make up the title character?

About 55,000 of them are on his head; he also has 5,600 polygons and 700 muscles.

What was the name of the software built for grooming fur and feathers on the film?

Chicken Wire was the deformer tool for faces; Lumiere handled lighting.

Which Pixar film originally held the November 4, 2005 release date?

Cars moved to June 9, 2006, and Chicken Little slid from July to November.

Why was the film's box office seen as critical to the Pixar contract talks?

The co-production deal was set to expire with Cars in 2006.

Where did the film premiere on October 30, 2005?

A ballroom bash followed at the Hollywood and Highland Center.

What childhood toy did Dindal want the 3D version to feel like?

The 3D conversion was suggested only 11 months before release.

To which Disney artist and writer was the film dedicated?

He died before the film's release.

The first trailer was attached to the DVD of which Disney film?

It was also released online in early 2004.

Which two films did it beat to open at No. 1?

It was the first Disney animated film to open at No. 1 since Dinosaur.

Who composed the film's score?

Patti LaBelle and Diana Ross are among the artists on the soundtrack.

Which band performed the film's one original song, "One Little Slip"?

Unusually for Disney, the other songs are covers, including the Spice Girls' "Wannabe".

Which film beat it in all four categories at the 33rd Annie Awards?

At the Kids' Choice Awards it lost Favorite Animated Movie to Madagascar.

In which game does Chicken Little appear as a summon?

The game debuted in Japan before the film, so the cameo doubled as promotion.

What was the second tie-in video game called?

It was inspired by the superhero movie-within-the-movie finale.

What was the cancelled direct-to-video sequel's tentative title?

It would have put Chicken Little in a love triangle with Abby and a French sheep named Raffaela.

Who cancelled the sequel after becoming Disney Animation's chief creative officer?

He scrapped all Disneytoon sequels in development, including Meet the Robinsons 2.

A Disney Channel series based on the film was passed over in favor of which show?

Dan Povenmire said so; an animation test for the series surfaced in 2024.

What grade did CinemaScore audiences give the film?

Critics were less kind: Rotten Tomatoes sits at 37%.

What did the DVD include as a bonus about the original version of the lead?

It also had three alternate openings and a karaoke sing-along.

Which 1950s Disney artist's backgrounds inspired the staging and lighting?

The team looked to her designs for Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.