Nick Park is the masterful mind behind the animated pair of Wallace and Gromit. His characters have had countless adventures, from traveling to space to stopping serial killers. Unfortunately, the escapades slowed with the death of Peter Sallis, Wallace’s iconic voice actor. The good news is they returned in a brand-new Wallace and Gromit feature-length film. It’s the first movie without Sallis, and Park makes his thoughts on the situation known.
Nick Park’s Rise to Fame
Born in Preston, Lancashire, Nick Park loved cartoons and animation since childhood. His passion drove him to study at Buckinghamshire’s National Film and Television School. While attending there, he met the founders of Aardman Animations, Peter Lord and David Sproxton. They brought him onto their team as a part-timer, helping with their work for BBC. At the same time, they’d help Park finish his life-changing graduation project. He also created another short film, Creature Comforts, that won him an Oscar in 1990.
Despite winning, Park continued animating and eventually created a series of short films. Their success led to him working on larger projects such as feature films. His first major theatrical hit was 2000’s Chicken Run, starring Mel Gibson. Fans and critics adored this flick, and it won a BAFTA for Best British Film. Park repeated his success with 2018’s Early Man, acquiring a BIFA Award for Best Effects. Of course, his most significant success lies with the series of Wallace and Gromit.
The Lives of Wallace and Gromit
Nick Park created the famous pair of Wallace and Gromit while studying at NFTS. They’d become the stars of the graduation project he produced with assistance from Aardman. Entitled A Grand Day Out, the pair build a rocket and vacation on the moon. The miniature flick became a success, winning Best Short Animated Film in 1990. It was also Sallis’ debut as Wallace, the inventor with a love for cheese. Little did Park know that this success would lead to him creating a saga.
After A Grand Day Out, Park produced the second installment, The Wrong Trousers. This short film showcased Wallace and Gromit stopping a penguin from stealing a rare diamond. Their next adventure involved them catching sheep rustlers in A Close Shave. What followed was Park’s first Wallace and Gromit movie, Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Later came A Matter of Loaf and Death, a fun bakery spoof of murder thrillers. Things generally went quiet for Wallace and Gromit after that until 2024.
Park Opens Up About New Film
Vengeance Most Fowl featured the return of Nick Park’s Wallace and Gromit duo. The Netflix flick showed the eccentric inventor becoming highly dependent on his inventions. He soon creates a smart robotic gnome designed to help Gromit in the garden. Wallace’s neighbors begin requesting the gnome-bot’s assistance for their own yards, though things go wrong. The robo-helper is suddenly hijacked by Feathers McGraw, the criminal penguin from The Wrong Trousers. He commands it to construct an army and frame Wallace for a string of robberies.
Sadly, this Wallace and Gromit movie is the first Sallis isn’t a part of. Ben Whitehead takes over the role while performing a remarkable impression of the late actor. Despite this somewhat reassuring development, Park still grieves over Sallis’ death. He informs others of the emotional atmosphere felt during the production of Vengeance Most Fowl. This statement shows how Park and his team loved and appreciated Sallis. The role of Wallace won’t be the same, but it’s in good hands.
Nick Park Pushes Forward
Nick Park is a revolutionary artist, and Vengeance Most Fowl is a fantastic film. It demonstrates he still has the magic touch with his stop-motion masterpieces. The movie is also a worthwhile addition to the Wallace and Gromit library. Vengeance Most Fowl takes everything from The Wrong Trousers and gives it a unique spin. The return of Feathers McGraw is especially a welcomed treat for long-time fans like myself. I’d love to see the return of past Wallace and Gromit characters in future flicks.
