We already know that Aardman’s return to the world of Wallace and Gromit in Vengeance Most Fowl was going to bring back one of the all time great villains of animation in Feathers McGraw, but a bumper-sized Netflix movie outing for the beloved British claymation classics requires more than just one creep factor. And what could possibly be creepier than a garden gnome met with all the horrible and terrible might of the smart home trend?
This morning Netflix revealed the first look at “Norbot”—voiced by Inside No. 9‘s Reece Shearsmith—Wallace’s latest invention and obsession as he and Gromit find themselves pivoting to the smart home business to make money. Under the banner of “Gnome Improvements,” Wallace, much to Gromit’s chagrin, begins dispatching Norbot to help the local townspeople with all of their gardening struggles… but then things start going wrong, as they’re wont to do with Wallace’s money-making endeavors, as Norbot starts to develop a mind of his own. Check out a brief teaser for his arrival below:
We already know that part of Feathers’ return is going to involve the revelation that he and his penguin flippers are pulling the strings behind these latest mishaps to befall Wallace and Gromit. But even if he wasn’t, you just know something with a face like Norbot’s is going to be up to no good. It’s no Preston the sheep-rustling robot dog, but Norbot is definitely up there as one of the most disturbingly not-so-innocent little additions to the world of Wallace and Gromit we’ve seen in a very long time. Those eyes, Wallace, what were you thinking!
“We are delighted to introduce Norbot, a ‘Nifty Odd-jobbing Robot’ gnome, designed to help Gromit with his gardening chores. Norbot is Wallace’s most proud achievement to date and, according to Wallace, his ‘best invention ever!’,” Vengeance Most Fowl directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham said in a joint statement provided by Netflix. “Garden gnomes have long been a part of Wallace and Gromit’s world, but this is no cute patio ornament. Norbot is the ultimate gnome—a ‘smart-gnome’. We’re so excited to see Wallace unleashing his latest invention Norbot into the world. However, his long-suffering pooch Gromit may be a little less sure…”
We’ll find out just how unsure Gromit gets with this creepy new addition to the garden when Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl begins streaming on Netflix later this winter internationally, and on the BBC exclusively in the UK and Ireland.
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