
The Creator of Wallace and Gromit Breathes Life Into a Cast of Clay
The animation series' latest iteration — 'Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl' — is now back in the awards race with nominations at Sunday's EE British Academy Film Awards, known as the BAFTAs, and the Oscars in March.
'Vengeance Most Fowl' was directed by Wallace and Gromit's creator, Nick Park, and by Merlin Crossingham, who said the film was shot over 15 months in a studio that was larger than a soccer field, with 260 people on set — including 35 animators and 50 puppet makers. The handcrafted clay cast has been expanded to include a robotic garden gnome called Norbot.
'As a crew, if we got a minute and a half in the week, we'd have a megaweek,' Crossingham said. He described animation as a 'magic trick,' because 'you're breathing life into something that doesn't have any.'
Park was born and raised in Preston, a city in northwestern England. His father was a photographer and his mother was a tailor and seamstress who made garments for all five of her children.
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Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Go behind the scenes with the ‘Alien: Earth' cast at Comic-Con 2025
SAN DIEGO — Sydney Chandler has wanted to attend San Diego Comic-Con as a fan for years. So it's 'surreal' that the actor's first experience with the annual pop culture expo is to promote her upcoming FX series 'Alien: Earth.' Chandler stars in the 'Alien' prequel as Wendy, a young girl whose consciousness has been transferred to an android. 'To be able to do it in this capacity is just mind-blowing,' she tells The Times in advance of the show's Hall H premiere on Friday. 'It's emotional because we worked on this for so long and I learned so much. … I'm kind of at a loss of words.' She does have words of appreciation, though, including for what she's learned from her character. 'Her journey of finding out how to hold her own and stand on her own two feet taught me so much,' says Chandler. 'I'm an overthinker. I'm an anxious person. I would have run so fast. I would not be as brave as her, but she taught me … that it's OK to just stand on your own two feet, and that's enough. That's powerful.' Even before the show's Hall H panel, fans have gathered on the sidewalk outside of the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego to catch a glimpse of Chandler and her 'Alien: Earth' cast mates Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin and Babou Ceesay, along with creator Noah Hawley and executive producer David Zucker, on their short trek to the bus that would transport them to the convention center for the show's world premiere. On the ride over, Hawley betrays no nerves about people seeing the first episode. 'I really think, in a strange way, it plays for all ages because it is about growing up on some level,' says the showrunner. 'But it's also 'Alien,' and it is a meditation on power and corporate power. ' Huddled together on the bus with Lawther and Blenkin, Ceesay is surprised to learn that this is the first time attending San Diego Comic-Con for all three. There's plenty of good-natured ribbing as they talk about the early interviews they've completed at the event. 'I just sort of want to make jokes with you all the time,' says Lawther as he looks towards his cast mates. 'I find it quite giddy in the experience, and I had to remind myself that I'm a professional.' 'Sometimes the British sarcasm instinct just kicks in,' Blenkin adds. Their playful dynamic continues as they joke about crashing Ceesay's other panel, and also backstage at Hall H as they try to sneak up on each other in the dark. After the panel, the cast is whisked away for video interviews and signing posters at a fan meet-and-greet at a booth on the exhibit floor. ('Timothy, you're the man!' shouts a fan passing by.) Later, Hawley, Chandler and Ceesay will hit the immersive 'Alien: Earth' activation where they will explore the wreckage of a crashed ship. 'It's such a safe space for people who just enjoy cinema and enjoy film,' Chandler says of Comic-Con. 'And that's me. I'm a complete nerd for all this stuff, so just to be around that group — it reminds me of why I love film so much in the first place.'


Digital Trends
7 hours ago
- Digital Trends
10 best Hulu original movies to watch this summer
Hulu's status over the course of the past decade has changed several times. The streaming service, which is now owned by Disney, still has original movie releases, but it has never competed for Oscars in quite the way that a service like Netflix does. As a result, Hulu original movies can be a little bit of everything, although many of them are the kind of mid-budget movies that have been disappearing from theaters. While all of them are definitely not good, we've pulled together a list of 10 excellent ones that are worth watching this summer. Palm Springs (2020) One of the great pandemic watches of 2020 was Palm Springs, a Groundhog Day-style story that followed two people attending a wedding who find themselves trapped living the same day over and over again. Recommended Videos While time loop stories are nothing new, Palm Springs manages to inject some fresh life into the genre by trapping two people in this purgatory together as they slowly fall in love and deal with personal demons that predate the time they've shared together. Anchored by great performances from Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, Palm Springs is still just as good today. You can watch Palm Springs on Hulu. Happiest Season (2020) A holiday romcom with some real bite, Happiest Season tells the story of two women in a committed relationship who visit one of their families for the holidays. When her partner learns that she is not out to her family, she's forced to pretend to be her friend through a deeply awkward weekend that leaves her questioning their entire relationship. Happiest Season is a fairly light comedy about bigotry, but it works because of Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis's committed central performances and because it's got some festive holiday zest to it. You can watch Happiest Season on Hulu. Summer of Soul (2021) One of the great documentaries of the past decade, Summer of Soul tells the story of the Harlem Cultural Festival, a music festival that did not receive the attention of Woodstock but occurred during the same summer. Thanks to archival footage of many of the performers, as well as contemporary interviews with experts and some of the performers themselves, the film is deeply emotional and a reminder of the wealth of Black history that often goes unexplored in mainstream culture. You can watch Summer of Soul on Hulu. Fresh (2022) Fresh is silly, to be sure, but it knows what it is and is pretty effective at creating a tense, thrilling atmosphere. The movie follows a young woman who is struggling to find any datable men until she comes across a charming man who, it turns out, wants to slowly carve her up and eat her. Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones are both excellent and utterly committed here, and the movie also has some pretty heavy-handed things to say about misogyny and what men really value in the women around them. You can watch Fresh on Hulu. Prey (2022) This prequel to the original Predator executed what everyone had basically always wanted from this franchise. It tells the story of a Native American girl living in the 18th century who stumbles upon a predator and has to figure out how to defeat it. Amber Midthunder delivers a hugely compelling central performance. In director Dan Trachtenberg's hands, Prey becomes a movie much more about one woman's survival and self-actualization than it is about the larger mythology of this universe, and it's all the better for it. You can watch Prey on Hulu. Rye Lane (2023) A hugely colorful and charming romantic comedy, Rye Lane is told over the course of a single day and follows two single people who meet in London in the wake of bad breakups. As they slowly form a connection, they have to work through their baggage and figure out whether they're really interested in pursuing a serious relationship. Filled with actual jokes and riveting banter, Rye Lane would be nothing without the natural chemistry between its stars, David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah. You can watch Rye Lane on Hulu. No One Will Save You (2023) A sci-fi movie with a high-minded premise, No One Will Save You is an almost entirely wordless film that follows a young woman who lives alone as she begins to suspect that aliens are invading her home. As she works to battle them off, we learn more about how she came to be so isolated. Anchored by the remarkable Kaitlyn Dever, who conveys so much without saying a word, No One Will Save You is more than just its interesting premise. It's a genuinely exciting sci-fi movie that, thankfully, demands that you actually look at the screen while you watch it. You can watch No One Will Save You on Hulu. Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) A sort of pseudo-sequel to Prey, but animated this time, Predator: Killer of Killers is an anthology story that follows three different characters from Earth who all took on predators over the course of history. A Viking, a samurai, and a World War II fighter pilot all get their turns taking on the unkillable hunters. After they emerge victorious, the warriors are taken to the Predator homeworld, where they are forced to compete to see who is the ultimate killer of killers. Featuring stylish animation, innovative action sequences, and a breakneck pace, Predator: Killer of Killers is one of the best entries in the franchise. You can watch Predator: Killer of Killers on Hulu. Minding the Gap (2018) One of the best documentaries on Hulu, Minding the Gap follows the story of three friends who bond over skateboarding as they grow and change over the course of years. In that time, we come to appreciate the economic hardships facing each of them and the way skateboarding becomes less of an escape as the realities of their lives start to close in around them. Minding the Gap features some impressive skateboarding footage, but what really makes the movie stick are all the moments where you see someone trying to escape from the circumstances they were born into, with mixed results. You can watch Minding the Gap on Hulu. Fire Island (2022) A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Fire Island offers a remarkable and humorous glimpse into the culture of gay travelers enjoying a summer vacation on the island. The film is vibrant and captures the complexity of gay culture. The romance at the movie's center is also deeply charming, anchored by writer and star Joel Kim Booster, who delivers a star-making turn at the center of this movie. Rarely has a retelling of Jane Austen felt as vibrant and modern as it does here. You can watch Fire Island on Hulu.


USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
John Cena dresses up as 'Peacemaker' for new trailer debut, Season 2 peek
SAN DIEGO – John Cena is known to dress up for any occasion. (His 2024 Oscars birthday suit, anyone?) He digs wearing his Peacemaker uniform anywhere and everywhere he can, so of course he's going to show out, helmet and all, at Comic-Con. 'This is where we're supposed to do this,' Cena said on Saturday, July 26, during a Season 2 panel for his DC action-comedy series at the pop-culture festival. 'I had to borrow this again. This one is not mine. This is a rental.' From the Hall H stage, Cena quipped he was also game for a night out with all the folks in Peacemaker cosplay. 'There's not enough hot sauce in this city to contain us.' Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox 'Peacemaker' (streaming Aug. 21 on HBO Max) continues to expand James Gunn's revamped DC universe, and in the filmmaker's first outing since 'Superman' became such a hit, Cena and the crowd gave Gunn a standing ovation. He also debuted the new 'Peacemaker' trailer, where Chris Smith (Cena) finds an inter-dimensional portal to a parallel Earth in his house and decides it's better there since Peacemaker's a hero rather than an outcast. Peacemaker 'is going through a rough patch in life and thinks the grass might be greener on the other side,' Cena said. 'That's something people can relate to.' Gunn, who calls 'Peacemaker' his 'favorite thing in the world,' said he likes when characters on TV shows 'just don't return the same every season. There's growth and there's regressions after Peacemaker's uncovered his demons in Season 1, and 'the world is not accepting him the way he is.' The first episode back of 'Peacemaker' takes place a month after the events of 'Superman' and also features cameos from Justice Gang members Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), plus their billionaire backer Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn). 'But there's a lot more as we go down the line,' James Gunn said. 'We're definitely a part of the DCU now.' Frank Grillo reprises his 'Superman' supporting role as Rick Flag Sr., a major new antagonist in the series who seeks revenge on Peacemaker for killing his son. (See: 'The Suicide Squad.') As the new head of A.R.G.U.S. – a federal agency that deals with metahumans – Flag 'is now in a position to finally get his hands on Peacemaker,' Grillo said. Grillo is big on action roles, not as much with dancing. But he and the rest of the cast are a part of the new season's epic opening-credits musical number. That was a hit with fans the first time around, and Gunn promises a new song, personalities and moves. Jennifer Holland, who plays Emilia Harcourt, got to do the lift from 'Dirty Dancing' and 'it was amazing,' she said. 'When I showed up, people thought it'd be funny to plant my face on T-shirts from when I was on a soap opera,' Grillo grumbled. 'Dancing was something I very reluctantly did but turned into me being the best dancer on stage.' Gunn teased that Season 2 is more extreme than the first and is definitely not for kids – there's a very sexual situation in the first episode that made actor Steve Agee (who plays John Economos) think 'it's insane we're showing it on cable.' And Cena gave a shout-out to his new Peace cycle that he gets to ride. 'It's a lumbering piece of machinery,' Cena said. "It's got torpedoes, speakers and a cool paint job." One interesting tidbit that Cena revealed: Gunn 'hates' the 'You can't see me' jokes, a byproduct of Cena's long pro wrestling career. 'I love them. Nobody is next to James Gunn, it's just a floating helmet!' Cena said, holding his headwear beside Gunn as the director laughed. 'He's so frustrated.' Gunn gushed over his "Peacemaker" star. "For one of the most famous people in the world, he has no ego," the director said of Cena. "He gets very silly when he's on stage, but the truth is, John Cena turns in an amazing performance this season. I couldn't believe what he was capable of and how much he's grown as an actor in two years. It's really something to see."