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Aardman confirms a new Wallace and Gromit film is in the pipeline

<i>Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit</i>, animated by Aardman, released by DreamWorks. (DreamWorks Animation)
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit, animated by Aardman, released by DreamWorks. (DreamWorks Animation)

Wallace and Gromit are returning in a new movie, it has been announced.

Aardman Animations is teaming up with Netflix to bring the popular characters back in their first full film since The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, which was released 17 years ago.

The film, which is to be directed by creator Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, is due out in 2024 and although it will premiere on Netflix in most places, it will debut on the BBC in the UK.

Read more: New Wallace and Gromit in early stages of development confirms Nick Park

Aardman said the movie sees Gromit becoming increasingly concerned that Wallace is getting a little too dependent on his inventions.

“When Wallace’s ‘Smart Gnome’ develops a mind of its own, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master…or Wallace may never be able to invent again!” said the synopsis.

Stop motion duo Wallace and Gromit were introduced in 1989 short film A Grand Day Out.

They then returned in three sequel shorts - The Wrong Trousers (1993), A Close Shave (1995), and A Matter Of Loaf And Death (2008) - and feature length movie Wallace and Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005).

The inventor and his canine sidekick have also featured in many games and comics over the years.

<i>The Wrong Trousers</i> won the 1993 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. (BBC/Aardman)
The Wrong Trousers won the 1993 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. (BBC/Aardman)

Their creator Park has previously hinted that they could be back.

In 2019, he told Yahoo: “[It’s] early days but I'm working on some new Wallace and Gromit ideas.”

He also shared that he saw The Wrong Trousers - which won an Oscar - as a high point for the animated series.

The Wrong Trousers is probably the film I look to as the model, so to speak, the model [Wallace and Gromit] film,” he said.

“There's strength in the simplicity of ideas.”

Watch: Wallace and Gromit statue unveiled in Preston by creator