Are Wallace And Gromit In Trouble? Aardman's Clay 'Problem' Finally Explained

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The iconic animated British duo of Wallace and Gromit have seen their fair share of catastrophes over the years, from a nefarious penguin to a cursed rabbit. Now, a new threat has emerged to threaten their existence — a lack of modeling clay that’s been used to create stop-motion adventures for years. But how serious is the issue?

An article from The Telegraph picked up steam concerning the clay supplier Aardman Animations, the studio behind “Wallace and Gromit” and “Chicken Run,” uses for its films. The supplier went out of business, and other sources, like Discussing Film on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted how Aardman only has enough clay for its next “Wallace & Gromit” movie, which is due to come out in 2024. This naturally sent fans into a tizzy, but the issue may have been overblown.

In response to people’s concerns, Aardman posted its own statement on X. The studio assured fans they have plenty of clay in stock and plans to transition smoothly to a new source, “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.” It appears the only thing Wallace and Gromit have to worry about is putting on the wrong pair of trousers. That’s always a bit of a sticky wicket.

It’s a cracking celebration for Wallace and Gromit

Part of the confusion seems to come down to a statement published in The Telegraph where Valerie Dearing, the clay manufacturer director, stated, “Aardman bought a lot of our remaining stock of Newplast to keep them going. They got what they said was two years’ worth. It came to about 40 boxes, which must have been around 400 kg.” The reason for the clay company’s closure comes down to no one wanting to pick up the reins, as mentioned by Mrs. Dearing’s husband, Paul, “We ran the business for 16 years and it was thriving, but we couldn’t find anyone who wanted to take over the firm after we retired so we sold off everything.”

Fortunately, it sounds like Aardman Animations has a plan for the future, which is great because the studio seems busier than ever. It’s preparing to release its long-anticipated sequel, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” to Netflix on December 15. There’s also an as-of-yet untitled “Wallace & Gromit” movie coming in 2024. Even when Aardman runs out of Newplast, it sounds like there’s a plan to keep supplies coming in, whether it’s a slightly different form of clay or a way to manufacture the materials independently.

For fans, there’s no need to worry. Wallace and Gromit will continue to soar as high as the moon … which is made of cheese, don’t you know?