Wallace and Gromit to Make TV Return for First Time in 15 Years

Wallace and Gromit, the lovable animated duo created in 1989 by Nick Park, are returning to screens in a brand new short film that will premiere on the BBC and Netflix during Christmas 2024. It is over fifteen years since Wallace and Gromit appeared in their last adventure, A Matter of Loaf and Death, and following the death of Peter Sallis, who provided the voice of Wallace in all their appearances, many believed that there would be no new outings for the characters in the future. Along with the first look at Aardman Animation’s upcoming Chicken Run sequel, the announcement of the new project from Netflix came as an unexpected surprise to fans.

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While it would be expected for details to be sparse that the moment, this is not a big Hollywood blockbuster and therefore we already have a plot for the new story. The synopsis reads: “Tapping into modern-day fears over automation, the film will focus on Gromit’s concern that Wallace has become over-dependent on his inventions, which proves justified when Wallace invents a “smart gnome” that seems to develop a mind of its own. As events spiral out of control, it falls to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces or Wallace may never be able to invent again.”

Wallace and Gromit have been the most popular characters of Aardman Animation’s history, and the franchise has also led to spin-off Shaun the Sheep, which itself has proved massively popular with a children’s TV series and films of its own. Nick Park will once again direct, this time sharing helmer duties with Merlin Crossingham, and also writes the script with Madagascar’s Mark Burton.

Aardman MD Sean Clarke said: “Wallace and Gromit are so loved by everyone at Aardman – they’re like family to us, and we couldn’t be more excited to be creating a brand-new film for them to star in. When Nick came up with the concept for a ‘smart gnome,’ we all agreed that Wallace would find the idea irresistible. We’re sure audiences will find the story irresistible too.”

Related: Best Stop-Motion Animated Movies, Ranked

Wallace and Gromit’s Unexpected Return Will Be A Huge Christmas Event

After such a long absence, the return of Wallace and Gromit will premiere in the UK on the BBC, with an expectation that it will provide the crown jewel of the channel’s Christmas Day viewing, while in all other territories the film will be distributed by Netflix, and it is certain to be a massive draw in the battle for Christmas ratings. This will follow a tradition for the Wallace and Gromit releases since The Wrong Trousers in 1993, and considering A Matter of Loaf and Death pulled in the largest UK Christmas Day audience in five years with a peak audience of 14.4 million, which equated to a 58% share of the viewing public, there is no reason to believe that the new film will follow suit.

The first three Wallace and Gromit films, A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave, all hold a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the fact that this is only the sixth outing for the duo in over 30 years, Wallace and Gromit are the greatest example of what happens when a creator goes for quality over quantity.

About The Author

Anthony Lund
(1510 Articles Published)

Anthony Lund is an author, songwriter and puppeteer from a small village in the U.K. with an avid love of all genres of TV and film. As well as keeping up with the lastest entertainment news and writing about it for MovieWeb, he works as a video editor, voice over artist and production designer. A child of the 80s, he is the owner of almost 2000 books, more toys than his children, three Warner Bros. Store Gremlins and a production used Howard The Duck movie script.

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