The beloved duo of Wallace & Gromit is returning to screens in a new adventure called Vengeance Most Fowl. This marks the first major appearance for the plasticine pair in over a decade and the first time the voice of Peter Sallis, who passed away in 2017, will be absent from a Wallace & Gromit film. “It has been quite emotional [doing this production] since we lost Peter, he was such an original, unique voice,” says Nick Park of Sallis. “So it’s very hard for anyone to step into his shoes. But we have been blessed with a youngish actor whom we’ve known for many years who can do a fantastic Wallace impersonation. He’s stepped in very kindly, and is just great. It’s hard to tell them apart.”
Ben Whitehead, the 47-year-old actor and voice artist, feels honoured to be taking on the role of Wallace but also admits to feeling a degree of pressure. “Enormous pressure!” he tells the BBC. “Because it’s a very popular character. I got to work with Peter [Sallis] a couple of times for [2005’s] The Curse of the Were-Rabbit film. So yeah, there’s a great deal of pressure with that. And I feel very grateful to Aardman for giving me so much time to build the character.” Whitehead has been given sufficient time to perfect his Wallace impersonation, which sounds almost indistinguishable from Sallis’s iconic Yorkshire tones.
Vengeance Most Fowl features an old villain, the criminal mastermind Feathers McGraw, a chicken-impersonating-penguin whom Wallace & Gromit defeated in their 1993 adventure. Fans have been clamouring for more from the duo and the idea for this latest story has been around for years. “Whenever we’ve done talks around the world, the last question is always, ‘When is the next Wallace & Gromit film?'” explains Park. “The last time we did that I just came home burning with this idea that’s been around for years.” This new adventure also introduces Norbot, a pre-programmed, voice-controlled smart gnome invented by Wallace, who, as usual, causes mayhem.
Wallace & Gromit were first introduced in 1989’s A Grand Day Out and their adventures have involved everything from malfunctioning clothing to mysterious were-rabbits. “I think Wallace & Gromit have so many facets to their relationship,” says Merlin Crossingham. “They are best pals. They’re kind of partners in crime, they’re man and dog. And hopefully in the films, their stories, and their relationship everybody young and old relates to them. I truly think it’s that relatability, not just of their simplicity of lifestyle from which madness erupts. But everybody somewhere in the stories connects with them on some level. And I think that what Nick has created, right back at the beginning with A Grand Day Out, has really struck a chord with people.”
The last time a new Wallace & Gromit adventure went out on Christmas Day was in 2008 with A Matter of Loaf and Death, which was the day’s most-watched show with over 16 million viewers tuning in. While it’s still possible that Vengeance Most Fowl could repeat that feat, it’s up against some tough competition, including the finale of Gavin & Stacey. However, Nick Park insists that this is not the end for Wallace & Gromit. “There’s plenty of bounce still in their bungee,” he says. “We’ll carry on. There’s always ideas worth kicking about.
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