David Bridges
Before Netflix returns us to the world of crazy, cheese-loving British inventors with Vengeance Most Fowl, the next entry in Aardman’s beloved Wallace and Gromit series, the original TV movies are getting a lush new re-release that would have Wallace grinning even further from ear to ear, even if his head wasn’t already shaped like that.
Today Shout Factory confirmed it would release a new Wallace & Gromit collection (suitably called the Complete Cracking Collection) this December, to tie in with Netflix’s release of Vengeance Most Fowl later this winter. The set includes the four original short films that kickstarted the series—1989’s A Grand Day Out, 1993’s The Wrong Trousers (which saw the debut of Vengeance Most Fowl‘s returning antagonist and the greatest villain in animation history, Feathers McGraw), 1995’s A Close Shave, and 2008’s A Matter of Loaf and Death—as well as the 2005 theatrical movie Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
However, it seems like only the four short films have been updated for 4K UHD release, with new remasters and newly remastered audio tracks. While the collection will also include a standard Blu-ray disc with the new remasters of Grand Day Out, Wrong Trousers, Close Shave, and Loaf and Death, the included copy of Curse of the Were-Rabbit is included on its own separate Blu-ray disc.
As well as the movies, the Cracking Collection includes audio commentaries for the four short films, an interview with Aardman’s Nick Park and Peter Lord, as well as a series of previously released behind-the-scenes documentaries:
- The Amazing World Of Wallace & Gromit
- Inside The Wrong Trousers
- A Close Shave – How They Did It
- The Making Of A Matter Of Loaf And Death – How They Donut
- When Wallace Met Harvey
The collection will also come in a box designed like Wallace’s hastily packed suitcase from A Grand Day Out, including a physical sticker sheet, picture gallery, and a series of technical blueprints inspired by Wallace’s various invention designs from across the series. While it’s a bummer that Curse of the Were-Rabbit is missing out on the remastered treatment (especially considering the relatively pricey tag attached to the deluxe release), this is a great way to get some of the best pieces of British animation history in a format they deserve to be seen in, ahead of the latest addition to Wallace and Gromit‘s claymation oeuvre.
Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Cracking Collection is available to pre-order now, ahead of a December 10 release, for $120. Just hold your nose and try not to think of how much cheese you could buy with that instead.
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Ethan Carter
