Aardman reveals details of interactive Wallace & Gromit story - including new animation

Fans of the iconic duo will be able to interact with them like never before in The Big Fix Up

Aardman has revealed more details of an interactive project which will see Wallace & Gromit's first foray into augmented reality.

For the first time ever, the iconic duo will bring fans directly into their adventures via The Big Fix Up - a first of its kind, story-driven experience that will bring the cherished characters together with state-of-the-art technology.

The Bristol-based animation studio has partnered up with Fictioneers, a consortium of British companies including Potato, Sugar Creative and Tiny Rebel Games, to produce the exciting augmented and mixed reality experience.

Yesterday (May 26) the studio released a brand new animation in which the pair look to "recruit" people from all over into their latest business venture, Spick & Spanners, which can be seen below.

What is The Big Fix Up?

Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up is a new, augmented Wallace & Gromit story, which will bring Wallace & Gromit alive in an entirely new way, while creating a cutting-edge new platform for storytelling.

Rendered in computer graphics (CG) using the latest technology, fans will be able to interact in a host of new ways and get closer than ever to the iconic duo.

The experience will be rich and multi-layered, realised through innovation and technology.

Later this year, join Wallace and his faithful hound as their most recent business venture, Spick & Spanners, takes on the contract of a lifetime: to "Fix Up" Bristol.

Fans will be invited to download a free app and play along at home, as an employee, and for the first time ever, be able to step directly into the world of Wallace & Gromit.

With research support from the University of South Wales and funding from UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), The Big Fix Up is set to be released in autumn.

How will it work?

The adventure will play out in a variety of different types of media to tell the story, including multi-user AR gameplay, new CG animations, in character phone calls, comic strips, extended reality (XR) portals and more.

All of it will be brought together in a mobile app, used as a "window" into their world.

The new Wallace & Gromit story is an entirely home-based experience, meaning it is accessible to all with a recent smartphone.

The Big Fix Up is set in Bristol, but people from all across the UK will be able to take part in the full end-to-end adventure, which will see Wallace, Gromit and an exciting cast of new characters appear in their very own homes.

In addition, thanks to 3D mapping platform, Fantasmo, Fictioneers will bring together an unprecedented city-scale augmented reality experience, which will see Bristol city centre come to life at home.

"Rare privilege"

Susan Cummings, Co-Founder of Fictioneers and Managing Director of Tiny Rebel Games, said: "We’re thrilled to be working with our friends at Aardman to deliver the first augmented Wallace & Gromit story.

"We, at Fictioneers, are on a mission to innovate storytelling with our groundbreaking methodology.

"It is a rare privilege to be able to do so with some of the most beloved animated characters in the world and to give fans the first opportunity to join in Wallace & Gromit's story."

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Aardman’s Merlin Crossingham, Creative Director of Wallace & Gromit, said: "Aardman is a multi-faceted creative studio and is just as happy with classic filmmaking as it is with new and emerging technologies.

"Wallace and Gromit’s heart and soul is in stop motion, but they have often dabbled in the cutting-edge of tech, and this is one of those occasions.

"We are delighted to join forces with the amazing folk at Fictioneers to take Wallace and Gromit on a new adventure in such a groundbreaking way."

Visit The Big Fix Up's website to register your interest.