Part of the confusion seems to come down to a statement published in The Telegraph where Valerie Dearing, the clay manufacturer director, stated, “Aardman bought a lot of our remaining stock of Newplast to keep them going. They got what they said was two years’ worth. It came to about 40 boxes, which must have been around 400 kg.” The reason for the clay company’s closure comes down to no one wanting to pick up the reins, as mentioned by Mrs. Dearing’s husband, Paul, “We ran the business for 16 years and it was thriving, but we couldn’t find anyone who wanted to take over the firm after we retired so we sold off everything.”
Fortunately, it sounds like Aardman Animations has a plan for the future, which is great because the studio seems busier than ever. It’s preparing to release its long-anticipated sequel, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” to Netflix on December 15. There’s also an as-of-yet untitled “Wallace & Gromit” movie coming in 2024. Even when Aardman runs out of Newplast, it sounds like there’s a plan to keep supplies coming in, whether it’s a slightly different form of clay or a way to manufacture the materials independently.
For fans, there’s no need to worry. Wallace and Gromit will continue to soar as high as the moon … which is made of cheese, don’t you know?
