Wallace and Gromit will face their arch-enemy, the evil penguin Feathers McGraw, when they return in a new full-length feature film this Christmas, as confirmed by the BBC. The 70-minute adventure, titled Vengeance Most Fowl, will see the iconic duo face off against their nemesis who was last seen in the 1993 Oscar-winning short film The Wrong Trousers.
I’d had the idea of bringing him back for a while and always thought about creating this story based around the character returning.
The creator and director of the film, Nick Park, shared how he decided to bring back McGraw after fans of the series asked if the character would ever return.
Made by Aardman Animations, it will be the first outing by the pair since 2008’s A Matter of Loaf and Death. Wallace and Gromit films are a staple of the Christmas TV schedule. The debut picture, A Grand Day Out—about Wallace deciding to fly to the moon (believing it to be made out of cheese)—appeared on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve 1990.
The follow-up, The Wrong Trousers, was broadcast by the BBC on Boxing Day 1993. Cracking Contraptions, a series of 10 short stop-motion animations, ran on the BBC throughout 2002. In 2010, the duo were immortalized in a set of Christmas stamps.
The Return of Feathers McGraw
The new film will see the evil penguin seek revenge on inventor Wallace and his loyal beagle Gromit. In a teaser trailer released on Thursday, McGraw is seen leaving a prison cell having been presented with his possessions—including the red rubber glove he used in the 1993 film to disguise himself as a chicken before revealing his true nature.
Nick Park elaborated on his creative journey:Then it hit me: What if Feathers was involved with these gnomes? We’re hoping that this film will appeal to fans of ‘Gnome Noir’ everywhere.
An All-Star Cast Joins Up
Ben Whitehead is voicing the role of Wallace while Peter Kay will portray PC Albert Mackintosh in the new movie.
The comedian previously featured in The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit. Reece Shearsmith, famous for his roles in Inside No 9 and The League of Gentlemen, joins the cast along with Everybody’s Talking About Jamie actress Lauren Patel.
This feature also boasts cameos from Motherland actress and comedian Diane Morgan, Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh, and comedian and actor Sir Lenny Henry. Fan excitement is further heightened by Ben Whitehead’s voice portrayal of Wallace,b following Peter Sallis’ tenure.
The Holiday Release Plan
This holiday season, families can look forward to watching Vengeance Most Fowl on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK during Christmas—a treat that follows a long tradition of festive Wallace and Gromit premieres. Those outside the UK can tune into Netflix for their dose of this beloved clay-animation duo’s latest escapade.
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