The quirky duo of Wallace and his loyal beagle, Gromit, are set to embark on another thrilling stop-motion adventure in 'Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.' This marks the sixth installment in the beloved series, the first since 2008's 'A Matter of Loaf and Death,' and the second feature-length film following the Academy Award-winning 'The Curse of the Were-Rabbit' in 2005. The announcement of 'Vengeance Most Fowl' was made back in 2022, and fans can now catch their first glimpse with the release of the trailer.
According to the official synopsis, 'Gromit's worry that Wallace is becoming overly reliant on his inventions comes to fruition when Wallace creates a 'smart gnome' that appears to develop a malevolent mind of its own.' As it turns out, a vengeful figure from their past might be pulling the strings, leaving Gromit to confront dark forces and rescue his master. If he fails, Wallace may never invent again!
For the first time, Ben Whitehead will fully voice Wallace in a feature film, following the passing of the original actor, Peter Sallis, in 2017. Whitehead had previously filled in for Sallis in certain scenes of 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' and had also taken on the role for video games and commercials since 2008. Actor and magician Reece Shearwood (Saltburn, Venom: Let There Be Carnage) will voice Norbot, the robotic gnome that promises to be Wallace and Gromit's most formidable foe yet.
The film's announcement comes amid news of layoffs at Aardman Animations, the studio behind the Wallace and Gromit series. Reports indicate that around 15% of the core staff, approximately 20 out of 130 non-freelance employees, were let go. The layoffs primarily affected management, as most of Aardman's artists are project-specific freelancers.
'Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl' will make its global debut on the closing day of the AFI Fest, with a release on December 25, 2024, on Netflix. However, UK audiences will get to see it first on the BBC before it arrives on Netflix in 2025.
