Half chicken, half hare, and tired of being laughed at for either half — that is the young hero at the center of Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness, a 2022 animated adventure comedy from Belgium and France directed by Ben Stassen.
What is Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness about?
Chickenhare is the adopted son of King Peter, a celebrated adventurer, but growing up as a creature that is part chicken and part hare has made childhood rough. To dodge the teasing of his peers, he hides behind a hare disguise, and that disguise costs him dearly on the day he finally faces the trials of the Royal Adventurer Society: he fails, badly. Rather than accept the defeat, Chickenhare sets out for a second chance, racing to find the Scepter of the Hamster of Darkness before his scheming uncle Lapin can claim it. Whoever holds the scepter gains enormous power, and an unstoppable Lapin is not a future anyone wants. Chickenhare does not go it alone — his loyal, sarcastic turtle servant Abe and Meg, a skunk with serious martial arts skills, join the quest, turning a personal redemption story into a fast-moving journey full of banter, danger and discovery.
About the cast
The English-language voice cast is led by Jordan Tartakow, Joe Ochman, Laila Berzins, Danny Fehsenfeld, Chris McCune, Michael Orenstein, Dino Andrade and Kyle Hebert, bringing Chickenhare's odd-family cast of characters — royalty, a wisecracking turtle, and a skunk who fights like a martial artist — to life.
Context & significance
Directed by Ben Stassen, known for family-friendly animated features, Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness is a Belgian-French co-production that fits into a European animation tradition of adventure comedies built around unlikely, hybrid heroes. Running 91 minutes, the film moves at a brisk pace suited to family viewing, balancing quest-driven plotting with comic relief from its supporting animal cast. It holds a modest standing among viewers of animated family adventures.
Watching Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness on Ktime
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness streams on K-Time with Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles, making it easy for Farsi-speaking families to watch together. The film's page is free to browse, and watching only requires logging into a free K-Time account — part of the Persian-language experience K-Time builds for the Iranian diaspora.