For 35 years, the cheese-loving English inventor Wallace and his loyal dog Gromit have captivated audiences worldwide with their eccentric, unapologetically British adventures. Created by Nick Park through stop-motion animation, the dynamic duo has amassed Oscars, starred in commercials, video games, animated series, and even inspired protest art. Despite this success, feature films have been rare due to the time-consuming nature of stop-motion animation.
After the acclaimed release of “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” in 2005 and “Early Man,” Park was hesitant to delve into another feature film project. However, inspiration struck, leading to the creation of the upcoming film “Vengeance Most Fowl,” set to premiere globally on Netflix, except in the U.K.
The film’s inception began with the idea of introducing a smart gnome named Norbot to aid Gromit in the garden. The storyline evolved when the conniving penguin Feathers McGraw, known for causing havoc in “The Wrong Trousers,” emerged as the central antagonist.
Reviving Feathers McGraw posed challenges due to the character’s complexity and silent nature, requiring meticulous attention to detail from the animation team. The decision to bring back Feathers was met with overwhelming fan approval, reaffirming the filmmakers’ choice.
Despite pressures to cater to a more global audience, the filmmakers preserved the quintessential British charm of “Wallace & Gromit,” showcasing familiar phrases and cultural references. The film features a high-speed barge chase on canals and nods to British humor, blending nostalgia with contemporary storytelling.
As “Vengeance Most Fowl” prepares to delight audiences worldwide, it remains a testament to the enduring legacy of Wallace and Gromit in the world of animation.
“Stop-motion Animation in a CGI World
“I think all of it is a sort of a lovely homage to Britishness and not in a patriotic way, just kind of laughing at ourselves culturally,” Crossingham said.
The starting point for all scenes was always the traditional: In camera, stop-motion animation like they’ve been using since 1989. It is, Crossingham said, fundamentally vital to the films to see the thumbprints on the characters and know that they’re handmade.
There have always been limitations, and the option to use more digital assistance, but it’s only been in recent years that computer graphics have caught up enough to blend in. Effects like fog and steam are possible in stop-motion, but, they explained, they never look quite right.
“The main thing we required was that if we were going to use a digital technique, could we force it to look right for our film rather than it just being bolted on and feeling like an accessory that was a bit of an unwelcome guest,” Crossingham said. “The visual effects department at Aardman worked very hard to get that stylizing so that it felt right in ‘Wallace and Gromit,’ in which and the sets and the props are characters in themselves.”
The tension between embracing technological innovation like artificial intelligence and preserving the old ways that still work was not just something they were thinking about off-camera. It’s at the heart of the film too, as Wallace’s well-intentioned invention turns against him (and wreaks havoc on the town).
“It’s a bit meta,” Crossingham said. “I think there’s something that resonates with audiences with stop-motion that they can tell it’s handcrafted, they can tell that’s the human touch.”
Park said he used to worry about the future of stop-motion, wondering how much time they had left. Recently, though, he’s seen a resurgence.
“As long as we’re telling good stories, entertaining and compelling stories with compelling characters, we’ll keep going.”
‘Vengeance Most Fowl’ by the Numbers
5: Years it took to make ‘Vengeance Most Fowl’
10: Norbot puppets (with 20 interchangeable heads)
11: Feathers McGraw puppets
20: Years since the last ‘Wallace & Gromit’ feature film
22.5: Hours of Wallace dialogue recorded by Ben Whitehead (who took over after Peter Sallis’ death in 2017)
32: Animators
127: Seconds of animation produced each week
200+: Crew members
600: Eyes made for all characters in the film
750: Norbot hands created (without spoiling too much … they get up to a lot …)”
