Who You Gonna Call?

Last updated: 05/10/2006 - 16:40

Wallace and Gromit – The Curse of the Were Rabbit

Aardman animations’ much-loved animated heroes – man and pooch Wallace & Gromit make the leap from short to main feature with the release of their long awaited big screen debut - out now on DVD.

Wallace and Gromit – already the cheese-loving clay-animated stars of short films: A Close Shave, A Grand Day Out and The Wrong Trousers - make their explosive feature debut available on DVD - and they’ve got rodent trouble!

Anti Pesto

‘The Curse of the Were Rabbit sees ‘vege-mania’ hit Wallace and Gromit’s neighbourhood in the run up to the annual Giant Vegetable Competition, hosted by beautiful heiress Lady Tottington (a possible new love interest for Wallace?). Against this backdrop we find that our intrepid inventive chums have been trading as elite pest-control duo ‘Anti-pesto’ and business is booming. That is, until an unexplained, nocturnal, vegetable-ravaging monster rabbit begins attacking the town's sacred vegetable plots - putting the future of the very competition itself in jeopardy! Will Wallace & Gromit rise to the occasion, or will Lady Tottington’s arrogant suitor, Victor Quartermaine, step in to save the day?

Joining Peter Sallis (the voice of Wallace and a long-loved comedy actor known for his starring role in BBC TV series Last of The Summer Wine), are some of the UK’s most versatile and talented actors. These include: Helena Bonham Carter (Planet of the Apes, The Wings of the Dove, Howard’s End) as the voice of beautiful and wealthy spinster, Lady Companula Tottington, Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Schindler’s List) as the proud and pompous, Lord Victor Quartermaine, comedian Peter Kay (Phoenix Nights) as P.C Mackintosh, Liz Smith (TVs The Royle Family) as Mrs Mulch and (also from TV) Cold Feet’s John Thompson, as Mr Windfall.

Peter Sallis

Wallace and Gromit – The Curse of the Were Rabbit has been directed (with Steve Box) and written by the characters’ creator: Nick Park. It is produced by Peter Lord, Nick Park and David Sproxton. The film will be distributed in the UK and Ireland by United International Pictures in the autumn. Aardman is releasing the film with the backing of DreamWorks SKG (the people behind Shrek, Shrek 2 and another celebrity-fest. Shark Tale).

Aardman is a triple (so-far!) Oscar winning British animation house responsible not just for Wallace and Gromit, but also for TVs Creature Comforts, the Mel Gibson starring feature film Chicken Run, as well as Angry Kid and Rex the Runt.

Aardman has a well-deserved reputation as a world leader in model animation. Their award-winning work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a unique brand of independent and commercials productions. The studio has been nominated for an Oscar seven times, winning three times.

Peter Lord and David Sproxton began their animating partnership at school. In 1972 they set up Aardman Animations, moving to Bristol in 1975. Their first professional creation was the now legendary BBC TV children’s character 'Morph'.

From the start Peter and David were interested in developing an adult audience for model animation. Conversation Pieces, commissioned by Channel Four Television in 1982 enabled the company to develop its innovative technique of animating puppet characters to real-life conversations. With films like Early Bird - which was set in a local radio station - Aardman demonstrated that real people could be characterised with insight, humour and sensitivity.

Claymation

In 1986, Peter Gabriel suggested that they collaborate with director Stephen Johnson and the Brothers Quay to create a new rock video. The extraordinary promo. they produced sent the track: Sledgehammer straight to the top of the chart – and put clay-animation into everyone’s living rooms in a new and exiting way. Gabriel's Sledgehammer went on - quite rightly - to collect almost every award that year. That original combination of rhythm, energy, style and visual flair was also harnessed to provide the visual accompaniment to the late Nina Simone's My Baby Just Cares For Me and Robert Parker’s Barefootin’.

1986 was also the year that Peter and Dave ‘discovered’ Nick Park and offered him an opportunity to work at the studio and, at the same time, finish his graduation film – the first Wallace & Gromit adventure: A Grand Day Out.

In 1989 the studio was again commissioned by Channel Four Television to create a series of five 5-minute films, Lip Synch. This ground-breaking series further explored the world of animation based on true characters and real voices and included Peter Lord’s War Story, Barry Purves’ Next, Richard Goleszowski’s Ident and Nick Park’s own Creature Comforts, which went on to win the 1990 Academy Award for ‘Best Animated Short Film’.

As the studio's reputation has grown both in the UK and overseas, so has the demand for its commercials work. Agencies appreciate the contribution that Aardman’s directors and animators can make to an original idea and a client list including Chevron, PG Tips, Serta, Tennants, Ameritrade, Homepride, Nike and Dr Pepper. Aardman produce approximately 15 commercials each year, within the studio is a thriving CGI department working alongside the commercials output.

In 1993 Aardman passed another milestone with the completion of Nick Park’s Oscar winning The Wrong Trousers, Aardman’s first longer form work. Acclaimed world-wide, winner of over thirty awards, The Wrong Trousers has become one of the most successful animated films ever made.

In 1995 Aardman produced Nick Park’s third Oscar winning film A Close Shave. An immediate sensation, it confirmed the studio’s reputation as well as establishing Wallace and Gromit as household names. The same year the studio produced Peter Lord’s Oscar nominated 11’ short film, Wat’s Pig (for Channel Four) as well as a children’s series based on Morph, The Morph Files.

In 1999, Aardman won another BAFTA for Stage Fright, an 11minute short film commissioned by Channel Four Television. Steve Box, Nick Park’s key animator on both The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave, directed Stage Fright.

Rex The Runt

The studio’s first animated television series for youth and adults, Rex The Runt, created and directed by long time Aardman associate Richard Goleszowski, was first shown on BBC2 in 1998 and garnered many top international awards. A second series was commissioned and shown on BBC2 in 2001.

A sort of Great Escape - with poultry - Chicken Run was the first full-length theatrical feature film within this deal and was directed by both Peter Lord and Nick Park. Released in 2000 in the US and UK to excellent reviews and outstanding box office receipts, Chicken Run has so far grossed over $230M at the worldwide box office.

Such is the success of the Wallace & Gromit franchise that the characters now feature in a new video game Project Zoo. A publishing programme is also rolling out over the next couple of years leading up to the feature film release.

In autumn 2002 Aardman released Cracking Contraptions, a new series of 10 one-minute Wallace and Gromit films. The films debuted on the internet and were viewed by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. All 10 films were then shown on BBC1 over the 2002 autumn and Christmas schedule. A new DVD was launched simultaneously. The films were also released online in the US via AtomFilms, who went on to offer a subscription package of all ten.

Creature Comforts

Darren Walsh’s runaway internet hit Angry Kid is now a regular on BBC Three, aimed at the youth market Angry Kid’s one-minute format is perfect for viewing via the new 3G mobile telephone service. 3G telephone communications firm Hutchinson is currently showing Angry Kid.

Also now in production from the busy animation house is the second series of the extremely successful Creature Comforts TV series. Re-commissioned by ITV1, this new series of 13-ten minute films will be shown at primetime in the Autumn. The films feature the unscripted voices of the British public and many brand new characters will join many of the ‘stars’ of the first series.

From Peter and David’s early tabletop beginnings, Aardman has grown into a major studio. But their work continues to be innovative, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm, reflecting the talent, energy and personal commitment of all the people who comprise the Aardman team.

For more information on all-things Aardman, why not check out the animation house’s own website – which can be accessed as a straight HTML format site – or as a very groovy flash site (which showcases the animation flair that you might expect from such a prestigious production company). Aardman Animations Ltd are at: http://www.aardman.com

Wallace and Gromit – The Curse of the Were Rabbit is out now on DVD.

Photo Credit: All images are courtesy DreamWorks Animation. Copyright: TM & © 2004 DREAMWORKS ANIMATION.