Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers - What We Know So Far

"Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers," the animated series following two detective chipmunks, was once a regular part of Disney's cartoon lineup. Between 1989 and 1990, Disney aired 65 episodes of this classic cartoon, and continued airing reruns of the show on various channels for years to come. The entire series is already available on Disney+. Now, it is receiving a revival in the form of a movie, also set to be streamed on Disney+ (via Collider).

Directed by Lonely Island member Akiva Schaffer, "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers" looks to revitalize a group of characters that haven't truly been updated in a long time, hopefully reigniting interest in the series through a new generation of fans. Rumors regarding this film have been bubbling behind the scenes for years, and now it has finally come to light with Disney revealing a release window, several cast members, and some key plot details. 

With that in mind, here is what we know so far about "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers."

News regarding a film adaptation of "Rescue Rangers" has been circulating as early as 2014, when The Hollywood Reporter reported on a live-action revival of the series. The project would not be heard of again until 2020, when Disney announced the project as we know it today during its Investor Day presentation (via the DisInsider). That's when the company announced both the cast and plot details for the film, along with a release date in Spring 2022. The film will be available on Disney+ upon release.

Unfortunately, Disney wasn't so specific on the exact day that "Rescue Rangers" is projected to become available on the site. Nonetheless, whether it be in March, May, or so on, it is almost a certainty that "Rescue Rangers" will come out that year. This is surely good news for fans of the series, who — despite being much older than the film's target demographic — will likely relish a chance to see the two chipmunks back in action.

By now, we all know that Disney is sitting on Scrooge McDuck levels of fortune. Thankfully, the company isn't afraid to spend some of that money to pull out all the stops on its fan-favorite franchises, and "Rescue Rangers" is no exception. In that regard, Disney has signed on Andy Samberg and John Mulaney to portray the titular chipmunks in this rendition (via Collider). Furthermore, Seth Rogen is taking a break from playing Donkey Kong in the upcoming "Mario" movie to go ahead and make a so-far undisclosed cameo in "Rescue Rangers."

If you think that Disney has completely forgotten about Chip 'n Dale's supporting cast, though, you'd be wrong. While the company hasn't announced every side role in the upcoming film, the company has confirmed at least one of the actors portraying a side role. Corey Burton, the original voice of Dale and Zipper the fly, is set to play the latter in this upcoming film (via DisInsider). Whether or not more cast members from the original "Rescue Rangers" TV show will show up is unknown at this time.

Disney hasn't revealed much regarding the plot of "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers," at least in its current form. The most we know of the story comes from DisInsider, who reported in 2020 that the film would mix live-action cinematography with animation, and treats the original "Rescue Rangers" as a TV show within the film's universe. This is despite the fact that Chip and Dale are both real creatures.

This is important because Ellie, the human lead whose actress is still unknown, is a burgeoning detective who remembers watching "Rescue Rangers" as a child. The film follows her as she teams up with Chip and Dale to find the villain, Mean Dean. However, who Mean Dean is — and what exactly he has done — have also been left a mystery.

Regardless, the "Chip 'n Dale" name is likely more than enough to draw an audience of older fans, many of whom have children now. The only thing left is for Disney to live up to the reputation of the original "Rescue Rangers," and if all goes well, they might be able to reignite a franchise that has been mostly silent for over 30 years.