Wallace and Gromit: new trailer drops for Christmas special, but who is voicing Wallace?

• The first trailer for an upcoming Wallace and Gromit Christmas Special has been released.
• Titled Vengeance Most Fowl, the special brings back a beloved fan favourite, despite their villainous ways.
• But who has been voicing Wallace since the death of Peter Sallis, and is the special a Netflix exclusive?

They are as much a British institution as tea and crumpets; Wallace and Gromit are set to return to our screens this Christmas with their new caper, Vengeance Most Fowl.

The beloved stop-motion characters are set to face off against a villain of old, finally released from incarceration after 32 years, as the first trailer for the new animated special has been released by the BBC, Netflix and Aardman Animation earlier today.

Indeed, the rogue known as Feathers McGraw is back on the scene - the criminal mastermind behind The Wrong Trousers - as a wave of crime (theft of garden goods, to be exact) in the local area lead Wallace and his smart gnome, Norbot, become the main suspects. 

As always, it’s up to Gromit to help Wallace to battle sinister forces to prove Wallace’s innocence - once again.

Speaking with Variety in July, director and creator Nick Park said he’d always wanted to feature gnomes gone bad in a “Wallace & Gromit” project, but he could never figure out how to write that story. 

“Three decades on, it felt like the right time. Then it hit me: What if Feathers was involved with these gnomes? We’re hoping that this film will appeal to fans of ‘Gnome Noir’ everywhere and that people will be gratified when they see what Feathers has been up to since ‘The Wrong Trousers.’”

Who is voicing Wallace after the death of Peter Sallis?

With the original voice of Wallace, Peter Sallis, having died in 2017, the voice of Wallace since then has been picked up by one Ben Whitehead, who is no stranger to Aardman Animation works after providing additional voices in Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Early Man.

He first picked up the role before Sallis’ death, providing a voice to the character in the Wallace and Gromit adventure A Matter of Loaf and Death in 2008.

Peter Kay returns to play Chief Inspector (formerly PC) Mackintosh. New voice cast members include Lauren Patel and Reece Shearsmith, while Diane Morgan, Adjoa Andoh and Lenny Henry all have cameos.

When is Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl released?

While Netflix has the rights to Aardman Animation works (see: Chicken Run 2), the special is set to air on BBC and BBC iPlayer over the Christmas period, before arriving on Netflix in the New Year.

Are you looking forward to the next Wallace and Gromit special, or are you dreading what Feathers McGraw might have planned for our claymation heroes? Let us know your thoughts on the new trailer by leaving a comment down below.