Wallace and Gromit have been to the moon, captured a jewelry thief in a high-speed train chase, staged a sheep prison break, escaped a werewolf curse, and thwarted a cereal killer. But now, with their latest feature-length adventure, they’ll face their most unexpected threat yet: a sequel.
Or is it? Wallace & Gromit: The Most RevengeAs the title teasingly suggests, we see the return of penguin criminal Feathers McGraw. wrong pants Wearing his eponymous steampunk pants, he stole a prize diamond from a local museum, was caught by Gromit and placed in the city zoo. He’s back and ready to wreak havoc again (originally titled The Bird of Revengebut was deleted because the original was deemed too ridiculous). In addition to the villain, there is also a supporting role human rabbit and motorcycles with sidecars close shave plays a key role.
back Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nuggets Bringing back Mrs. Tweedy, it looks a lot like Aardman is getting into the program and revisiting its biggest rival. But like anything from the Bristol stop-motion giant, nothing is that simple. According to Nick Park, the story ends in a roundabout way on that familiar face with narrow eyes:
“The basic idea was ‘What if Wallace invented a smartphone to help Gromit get around the garden?'” It took me a long time to complete this task, and then I realized we needed to add some context to the story. Adding more dark elements to the mix – that’s how you do it with this gnome. It was like a bolt of lightning: Feather, he might be behind it. “
Or, as co-director Merlin Crossingham puts it, “Just like the story demands. This was not premeditated“.
This idea—freedom of creativity within an inherently time-intensive production method—permeated ScreenRant’s visit to Aardman Productions this summer to talk to the cast and crew about returning to the world of Star Wars. super invincible boss dog Total adventure movie 16 years later. Here’s what we learned…
How “Wallace and Gromit” came about
An unexpected Wallace and Gromit movie
So, what is The Bird of Revenge?
The new Wallace & Gromit movie isn’t one of their typical adventures by any stretch of the imagination. These four short films were broadcast on the BBC in the UK, each lasting about 30 minutes. Curse of the Were-Rabbit It is a full-length theatrical performance. The new film was originally conceived as a short film like the others, but with a significantly expanded scope.
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The story of “Wallace and Gromit” aims high, being both timely and a throwback to the series’ past, and it succeeds in every way.
It’s also part of the current deal between Aardman and Netflix, which is already coming to fruition Chicken Run 2two Shaun the Sheep movies and delightful shorts Robin Robin. After premiering on BBC One in the UK on Christmas Day, the film will be released on Netflix elsewhere in the world in early 2025. But as a concept, it emerged organically from Nick Park after years of infiltration and rumors at Aardman headquarters.
Feathers Return McGraw
So, go watch a movie. The main plot focuses on Wallace as he becomes increasingly dependent on technology. This developed a robot gnome named Norbot. Typically, something goes wrong, a crime is committed, incorrect accusations are made, and then through a series of dominoes, the evil chick returns.
Feathers McGraw is the most iconic character in the movies outside of the core duo and Shaun the Sheep, in human rabbit and Chicken Run: Dawn of the NuggetsWait, and posed a lot of questions to the directors about his possible (and now, eventual) return.
feathers The Bird of Revenge is one that can be carefully identified. The animation style expanded, as Parker said, “Keep him steady and don’t overdo it“. His pinhead eyes were carefully selected from hundreds of pitch-black needles to illuminate him in every shot, which Crossingham described as “twinkling in his eyes” This turns a simple puppet into the embodiment of malevolence.
The cast of Revenge of Most Fowl. old and new
Wallace – Ben Whitehead
Wallace was originally voiced by Peter Sallis, who died in 2017, and has been replaced by Ben Whitehead The Bird of Revengeof the cast. Whitehead served as Sallis’s go-to understudy for nearly a decade on multiple spin-off projects; The Bird of Revenge According to footage seen by ScreenRant, this left an incredible mark on the film.
Co-director Merlin Crossingham discussed the transition following Sallis’ death:
“It’s nothing new to us. We’ve been working with Ben for a long time. It’s a gentle handover of the baton. It’s a lovely way for him to get to know the character and for us to make it sound seamless. ”
Chief Inspector McIntosh – Peter Kay
Surprisingly, among the returning cast members is Peter Kay as Chief Inspector Mackintosh. Originally appeared as Local PC in The Invincible Master Dog in “The Curse of the Bunnyman”McIntosh gets a promotion and is put in charge of a series of robberies that pop up in the city (along with Lauren Patel’s Mukher Jee). Nick Park said:There was always an idea to play the role of a police officer. People thought we might not be able to make Mack because DreamWorks had partial ownership of Bunnyman.Once the role was unlocked, getting Kai became a “very serious letter” from the director to the comedian.
Norbert – Rhys Shearsmith
Reece Shearsmith voices Norbert, the last in the main cast. Another icon of northern British comedy (a dwarf with a northern accent particularly amused Nick Park), Shearsmith is almost spectacular, his League of Gentlemen and Within 9th has stung British sentiments super invincible boss dog (albeit with a darker bent), has not crossed paths with Aardman before. In fact, it was these qualities that impressed Crossingham most.
“His vocal mix is so captivating. It’s a balance between innocence and a dark edge. That comes from his own comedic style. He really understands where a character can go. This duplicity in one voice The ability is really interesting.”
stop! Dynamic Technology
The new technology powering Wallace & Gromit
That’s appropriate for a story that deals with the dangers of technology in hilarious ways The Bird of Revenge Presenting the most high-tech clay animation technology. Although the company has shied away from using full CGI capabilities since 2011 arthur christmastraditional clay animation has advanced by leaps and bounds from the process that led to good day It took 6 years to make and the animation took just 12 months (the film is almost three times as long).
Gone are the days of plasticine models. Now, characters are first sculpted in clay, then scanned and recreated in silicon”looks like plasticine(with finger-smear defects), grafted onto a steel skeleton. Puppet master Frank Harper described them as “model kits”. Key parts such as mouths and eyes required artist control, but the 180 puppets produced during the (30 for each of the two main characters, and 700 for Norbert alone) follows this control logic.
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The set is lit using a computer-controlled LED system that can run in real time or in sync with animation. The models are mounted on delicate gimbals, allowing for movements not possible with frame-by-frame models.
CG even makes an appearance, albeit with varying degrees of perceptibility. One of Wallace’s overzealous inventions allows Gromit to cross the line of reality in a scene where milk is poured on him, with a CG effect as the milk is poured over him and clay falls on his face . However, the bubbles in Wallace’s bathtub were real.
In order to create a shot showing the full army of Nodroids, a completely new method of stop-motion animation had to be created to avoid relying on digital models or sluggish animator time. According to Crossingham:
“We don’t have enough puppets. 5 wide x 12 Deep, there’s a lot of Norbot. So we’ve managed to do that, we can animate a row and then attach that row to the motion controls and we want them all to animate the front row and it takes one frame on the composite blue screen. , and then the motion controls move it back to the second line, take a frame, move it back, take a frame. And then in the composition, we have to do that because they’re going to go through the light, and we can’t just do that. Do one and repeat it.”
Make no mistake. Despite all the technical enhancements to the methodology that have been around for over 50 years, it is still a painstaking effort, with every aspect of each framework reviewed by multiple departments. This is”The best animation team we’ve ever had” Parker said film industry alumni can go all the way back to wrong pants For those who grew up watching it. The same challenge came up again: Lead animator Carmen Bromfield Mason said the biggest challenge in the film was maintaining the frown of the CI Mackintosh’s oversized dome; a surprisingly high-stakes balance:
“He moves with the eyebrows and it’s really difficult to get the right shade. It’s Peter Kay, so when it speaks, everything is [moving] All the time. “
Most importantly, everyone involved with Aardman is keen to highlight that everything you see in it The Bird of Revenge It’s tactile. It’s real, it’s there, even if it requires computer enhancement. undeniable super invincible boss dog In its modern iteration (human rabbit It has a different feel than the original short film from the 1990s due to the increased scope and tools. However, the same care and respect was maintained throughout the entire process. Crossingham admits styles have changed but what remains important is “The world feels familiar and everyone feels the same way. There’s evolution, there’s subtlety. Our team becomes more accomplished. We ask for more from them and they give us more. “
And, here’s what the model-making team had to say about the much-publicized plasticine shortage that has attracted worldwide attention and led to fans sending their own clay to the studio to keep production running smoothly:
“There was a big turmoil. Our supplier, they were retiring. We were looking for another supplier and that got canceled.”
“Wallace & Gromit: Revenge of the Fowl” follows beloved inventor Wallace and his loyal dog Gromit as they embark on a new adventure to uncover a secret mystery in their town. The mystery behind a series of poultry-related events. Amid the chaos, they encounter unexpected opponents and challenges that test their relationship.
Director Merlin Crossingham, Nick Park
Release date October 27, 2024 Cast Ben Whitehead, Garth Jennings, Reece Shearsmith, Peter Kay, Maya Sondhi, Diane Morgan, Lenny Henry, Adjoa Andoh, Muzz Khan, Lauren Patel
Duration 70 minutes