Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Interview: Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham discuss molding the iconic duo’s latest feature

It’s been 20 years since Britain’s iconic animated duo, Wallace and Gromit, nibbled cheese and invented new ways to embolden their friendship in a full-length feature. Last time, the hapless inventor, Wallace, and his dutiful K9 companion, Gromit, solved a spooky mystery in Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. This January, they’re facing off against an old foe and an army of destructive garden gnomes in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Before the film’s Netflix launch on January 3, we sat down with Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park and Vengeance Most Fowl co-director Merlin Crossingham to discuss the character’s most grand adventure in decades.

During our chat, Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham commented on Wallace and Gromit’s enduring appeal throughout the ages and whether they ever felt pressure to update the characters for new generations. We also talked with Merlin about moving from directing Wallace and Gromit’s short films to tackling a larger-than-life feature presentation. Additionally, we talk about Norbot the Garden Gnome’s terrifying design and how best to balance the character’s adorable but unnerving look.

You can read the official synopsis for Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl below:

Aardman’s four-time Academy Award-winning director Nick Park and Emmy Award-nominated Merlin Crossingham return with a brand new epic adventure, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. In this next installment, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!

On a personal note, speaking with Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham was a bucket list event. I’ve been watching Wallace & Gromit since I was 7 years old, and they’re part of the foundation for my love of animation, especially stop-motion. Never in my life did I think I’d be speaking with individuals responsible for the magic these characters bring to screens, and I am grateful for the opportunity.