Aardman Animations calms fans after clay shortage scare

And you thought the poultry in Chicken Run was in trouble! Following word that Aardman Animations – the studio behind Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit and more – was in serious trouble after reportedly running out of clay from its supplier, the famed studio has come forward with news that they will be able to press forward much longer than expected.

In a statement issued on social media, Aardman Animations wrote, “We are touched about recent concern over the future of our beloved clay creations, but wanted to reassure fans that there is absolutely no need to worry. ⁠We have high levels of existing stocks of modelling clay to service current and future productions and, much like Wallace in his workshop, we have been tinkering away behind the scenes for quite some time with plans in place to ensure a smooth transition to new stocks to continue to make our iconic productions.”

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Aardman Animations had apparently purchased the last of the remaining Lewis Newplast modeling clay from the supplier, but this would have only lasted them one more picture. As originally reported by The Telegraph, “In March this year, the only factory that made [the clay], on the outskirts of Torquay, shut up shop. When its closure was announced, Aardman bought up every last block of Lewis Newplast that remained in the warehouse – enough for just one more film: the new Wallace & Gromit, coming in 2024. After that, until a suitable replacement can be found, or invented, that’s it.”

Fortunately, this turned out to be a bit of an overreaction, as the studio is well equipped to handle plenty of future pictures, including the next much-anticipated Wallace and Gromit feature, which will be the first since the Oscar-winning The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The studio’s latest, a sequel to Chicken Run subtitled Dawn of the Nugget, is set to arrive on Netflix on December 15th.

Aardman Animations made their feature debut with 2000’s Chicken Run before moving on to the aforementioned The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Flushed Away, a pair of Shaun the Sheep movies, and more.

What is your favorite Aardman Animations production? Do you want more Wallace and Gromit movies? Let us know!