Celebrated animation studio Aardman Animations is set to pay a very welcome visit to a long time ago in a galaxy, far, far away, with the studio behind Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run revealed (via StarWars.com) as one of several animations studios to be behind an episode of the upcoming second season of the Disney+ series, Star Wars: Visions. The full line-up for season 2 of the Star Wars anthology series has now been revealed, with Aardman sure to be one of the most exciting prospects among fans.
The first season of Star Wars: Visions debuted last year and includes episodes made by several leading Japanese anime studios, each offering a fresh and diverse cultural perspective to the iconic saga. Described as a collection of animated short films presented "through the lens of the world's best anime creators" that offers "a fresh and diverse cultural perspective to Star Wars," Star Wars: Visions tells both big and small stories from across the galaxy.
The first season of Star Wars: Visions was met with critical acclaim and went on to be nominated for an Emmy. While certain details remain under wraps, it has been revealed that the short b Aardman will be titled “I Am Your Mother” and is directed by Magdalena Osinska (Wallace & Gromit’s “The Great Sofa Caper”). No doubt, it will be brimming with the same charm that has led to the animation studio being so revered.
The second volume of Star Wars: Visions will feature shorts from animation studios from Japan, India, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Chile, France, South Africa, and the United States, and it has now been given the perfect release date of May 4, 2023.
A New Wallace & Gromit Movie is Now in Development
Aside from taking a little trip to a galaxy far, far away, Aardman animations is currently hard at work on a new Wallace and Gromit outing. The beloved duo has not been seen on screen since the 2008 short film Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death, with the new project all set for release courtesy of Netflix.
“The 30th anniversary celebrations coincide with the production of a brand-new Wallace & Gromit film – the first since 2008’s A Matter of Loaf and Death, which was the UK’s most-viewed TV programme of the 2000s with over 16.2 million viewers tuning in to watch,” a statement made by the official Wallace and Gromit website reads. "This brand-new, as-yet untitled adventure will premiere exclusively on Netflix around the world except in the UK, where it will debut first on the BBC before also coming to Netflix. It is set for release in 2024.”
A logline for Wallace and Gromit’s Netflix adventure has also since been released and reads, “Gromit’s concern that Wallace has become over-dependant on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart gnome” that seems to develop a mind of its own...As events spiral out of control, it falls to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces - or Wallace may never be able to invent again!”
The Netflix Wallace and Gromit movie comes as part of the ongoing celebration of the 30th anniversary of Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers and is expected to be released sometime in 2024.