Feathers McGraw Returning In New Wallace and Gromit Film
Who is the most devious villain in animation? Who is the most dispicable, irredeemable but actually kinda cute baddie to grace our screens. Surely it must be Feathers McGraw, the evil penguin (or is that chicken) from the 1993 Aardman Animation film The Wrong Trousers. Now, over thirty years since he last graced our screens, Aardman have announced that the brazen bird is set to return... and is seeking to get vegance against Wallace and Gromit.
This is in the new Wallace and Gromit that was revealed to be in development for the BBC (in the UK) and Netflix (everywhere else). At the time, we weren't sure whether this new film, would be a short (like most of their films to date) or whether it would be a second feature for the iconic duo. It has been confirmed that it will be a feature-length film and will be titled Wallace And Gromit: Vengance Most Fowl.
In the new film Gromit is concerned about his old pal's overreliance on his inventions, which poves jsustified when Wallace invents a "Smart Gnome" that seems to devlelop a mind of its own. When it emerges a shadowy figure from their past might be behind it, Gromit must step up to rescue his master before it's too late.
This will be the first Wallace and Gromit to be released since the death of original Wallace voice actor Peter Sallis. Ben Whitehead is stepping into Sallis's considerable shoes, having already played Wallace in video games, commercials and other ancillary projects. Comedian Peter Kay (Carshare, Phoesnix Nights) will reprise his role from Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, and will be joined by newcomers Lauren Patel (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Reece Shearsmith (League of Gentleman, Inside No.9), with cameos from Diane Morgan (Cunk on Earth, Motherland), Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton, Invictus) and Sir Lenny Henry (Three Little Birds, The Lord of the Rings).
The film will be directed by original Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park and Aardman Creative Director Merlin Crossingham. The story is by Nick Park and Mark Burton (Madagascar, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Shaun the Sheep Movie), with the screenplay by Burton. It is produced by Richard Beek.
Nick Park said "I’d had the idea of a film about garden gnomes turning bad for more than a decade, but I could never work out what made them bad. It occurred to me that the single most asked question I get when I meet fans is, will the penguin Feathers McGraw, Wallace and Gromit’s original antagonist from The Wrong Trousers 30 years ago, ever return? We’ve had fun bringing him back in cameo capacities but now, three decades on, it felt like the right time. 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 and that people will be gratified when they see what Feathers has been up to since The Wrong Trousers."
Crossinham adds "Whilst we love to revive the enthusiasm across our existing fan base, we also want this film to reach people who have never come across Wallace and Gromit before. Hopefully Vengeance Most Fowl is full of everything people love about Wallace and Gromit while introducing new themes to their ongoing story."
Charlotte Moore Chief Content Officer At The BBC said "This new feature length Wallace and Gromit film will captivate audiences of all ages this Christmas on the BBC as the longed for return of penguin Feathers McGraw joins forces with evil gnomes in a unmissable adventure celebrating British creativity at its best."
Wallace and Gromit will air later this year on BBC One and on iPlayer in the UK, and will be available everywhere else on Netflix.
