The animation world was left scratching it’s head last night after the relationship between US giants Dreamworks and Wallace and Gromit creators Aardman ended.

The five movie deal was brought to an early close because, it is suggested, that the last two collaborative efforts underperformed at the box office. Flushed Away was a moderate success and even though Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit, picked up the oscar last year for best animation, it wasn’t enough.

Dreamworks have said that the two companies have: ‘Different business goals.’ Bristol based Aardman  believe that their ‘Ambitions have moved apart.’

Aardman were formed in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton. They produced animations for Tony Hart in the form of Morph (hands up who remembers that.) They then went on to greater success with the Creature Comforts ad-campaign before finding world wide acclaim with Wallace and Gromit. They signed the deal with Dreamworks in 1999 and their first film together was the Mel Gibson voiced Chicken Run.

The split has been totally amicable (but of course!) and Aardman will announce its new distribution plans shortly.
Aardman wish to concentrate on what they do best, ‘Claymations’ with a very British sense of humour. Dreamworks want to continue with computer animations producing two films a year until 2010. I think we may have just found another reason…

The boys from Bristol will carry on regardless though. A US version of Creature Comforts starts later this year and a series for British TV, Shaun the Sheep, is in production.

This is all good. Keep up the cracking work lads.

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Keywords: Aardman, Animation, Bristol, British, Dreamworks, Film, Mel Gibson, Wallace And Gromit