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[Dan]

Not sure whether the Curse of the Wererabbit subtitle is still being used, but a big plot description and two production stills have been released in the last couple days.

The cheese-loving Wallace and his ever faithful dog Gromit - the much-loved duo from Aardman's Oscar-winning clay-animated "Wallace & Gromit" shorts - star in an all new comedy adventure, marking their first full-length feature film.

It's 'vege-mania' in Wallace and Gromit's neighborhood, and our two enterprising chums are cashing in with their humane pest-control outfit, "Anti-Pesto." With only days to go before the annual Giant Vegetable Competition, business is booming, but Wallace & Gromit are finding out that running a "humane" pest control outfit has its drawbacks as their West Wallaby Street home fills to the brim with captive rabbits.

Suddenly, a huge, mysterious, veg-ravaging "beast" begins attacking the town's sacred vegetable plots at night, and the competition hostess, Lady Tottington, commissions Anti-Pesto to catch it and save the day. Lying in wait, however, is Lady Tottington's snobby suitor, Victor Quartermaine, who'd rather shoot the beast and secure the position of local hero - not to mention Lady Tottingon's hand in marriage. With the fate of the competition in the balance, Lady Tottington is eventually forced to allow Victor to hunt down the vegetable chomping marauder. Little does she know that Victor's real intent could have dire consequences for her…and our two heroes.

Nick Park ("Chicken Run"), the original creator of Wallace & Gromit, and Steve Box are directing the Wallace & Gromit feature. Peter Lord ("Chicken Run"), David Sproxton, Nick Park, Claire Jennings and Carla Shelley are producing.

Peter Sallis, who has voiced the role of Wallace in all of the shorts, reprises his role in the feature film. Academy Award nominee Helena Bonham-Carter ("The Wings of the Dove") and two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes ("The English Patient," "Schindler's List") are the voices of Lady Tottington and Victor, respectively.

Here's a photo of a poster from a licensing show a while back:

As much as I'm looking forward to the likes of Batman Begins and War of the Worlds, I've been pumped for a Wallace & Gromit movie for years and have been anxiously awaiting it ever since Aardman signed that deal with Dreamworks several years ago. I'm a bit disappointed that their next feature is apparently CGI, but it seems like they're still very, very dedicated to claymation, so that's cool. They have another two features in production too, so I'm hoping those are claymation. Not sure if the Tortoise and the Hare movie will reappear.

In other Wallace & Gromit news, Aardman Animation is making forty episodes of a children's series based on Shaun the Sheep, from A Close Shave. I believe each episode is 7 minutes long. They'll be airing on the BBC sometime in 2006.

The Wallace & Gromit movie is due in theaters late summer or early fall 2005. Its date keeps moving around a bit, probably trying to juggle its release around the also ever-changing date for The Corpse Bride.

 

[FoneBone]

I can't wait -- I've been waiting way too long for this.

 

[Saturnman]

I love Wallace and Gromit.

 

[Saturnman]

The lack of replies is sad.

 

[demon]

I remember my sophomore year HS english teacher (can't remember his name) introduced me to W&G. He played it in class, and in a weird sort of way we all loved it. Haven't seen it in a long time....would love a movie.

 

[sefskillz]

wallace and gromit rocks city blocks. i received the game for gamecube last christmas, it wasn't bad.

 

[KarishBHR]

this will be amazing. Whens it comign?

 

[Dan]

The lack of replies is sad.

I agree. Unfortunately, many of my film threads end up like this.

this will be amazing. Whens it comign?

Looks like sometime in the September to October area. Sites have varying specific dates, but September 30th is the one seems to show up the most.

I'm hoping that when the movie comes out they do a new DVD set with the previous shorts and the Cracking Contraptions series. The previous discs are kinda hard to find now.

 

[FoneBone]

I agree. Unfortunately, many of my film threads end up like this.


Looks like sometime in the September to October area. Sites have varying specific dates, but September 30th is the one seems to show up the most.

I'm hoping that when the movie comes out they do a new DVD set with the previous shorts and the Cracking Contraptions series. The previous discs are kinda hard to find now.

Didn't realize the previous DVD releases were so rare...

Anyway, given how heavily the studios use tie-in releases and rereleases, I don't think there's any significant chance of there not being a new DVD set. Hopefully they'll include the Cracking Contraptions shorts as extras, since they never got a DVD release in the US (to my knowledge).

 

[Fresh Prince]

Close Shave was a disappointment but the two ealier films were great.

 

[FoneBone]

Close Shave was a disappointment but the two ealier films were great.

I disagree. A Grand Day Out is easily the weakest; the other two are about tied for me.

 

[Fresh Prince]

A Grand Day Out had sort of understatedness about it which I really liked.
IMO I think Wrong Trousers were the best- the penguin was the best.

 

[Dan]

A Grand Day Out was kinda lacking in the plot area, which wasn't necessarily bad but it just wasn't as engaging as the following two which had clear conflicts, villains and of course more crazy inventions.

 

[FoneBone]

A Grand Day Out was kinda lacking in the plot area, which wasn't necessarily bad but it just wasn't as engaging as the following two which had clear conflicts, villains and of course more crazy inventions.

Exactly.

 

[Saturnman]

I love when they go to the moon.