Aardman at 50: Bristol's clay-and-wire studio turns half a century old

Aardman Animations, the British studio behind Wallace & Gromit, is marking 50 years in business. Peter Lord and David Sproxton founded the company in 1976, and it still makes films the old way: models moved a fraction at a time, photographed frame by frame.

That method is slow. Each second on screen takes roughly two dozen separate photographs, and every character is a physical puppet that someone has to pose again and again. Hollywood Reporter reports that the studio, based on an industrial estate on the edge of Bristol in England, has kept stop-motion going through five decades of changing tastes.

The studio's latest stop-motion feature is Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, a Halloween-themed story. It is scheduled for release at Halloween 2026, which is only days away. Around 30 animators worked across 40 sets to make it, according to Hollywood Reporter. It is the third Shaun feature, following Shaun the Sheep Movie and Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon.

Studiocanal co-produces the Shaun franchise and handles its sales around the world. Lionsgate released the first Shaun film in the United States, and Netflix handled Farmageddon. Aardman, Sky and Studiocanal showed a first look at the Halloween film in October 2025.

Aardman's first feature was Chicken Run, which grossed $230 million worldwide, according to Hollywood Reporter. DreamWorks Animation co-produced and released that film. Netflix later backed the 2023 sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

On television, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl aired on the BBC on Christmas Day 2024. Hollywood Reporter says it became the BBC's most-watched scripted show in two decades. Netflix released the special internationally. Across 50 years, the studio has won four Oscars and 18 BAFTAs.

The anniversary has brought a string of projects. The Royal Mint issued a commemorative 50p coin to mark 50 years of Aardman, Aardman said in June. In March, the studio and Lightroom announced a 360° immersive experience built around Wallace & Gromit, Shaun and other characters. M-Shed, Bristol's city museum, hosted a 50 Years of Aardman exhibition showing how the puppets come to life.

Aardman also sent iconic puppets to auction. The studio announced the sale on September 3, and the auction took place on September 24, 2026. The collection was led by original Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Feathers McGraw puppets.

Stop-motion leaves physical traces. Fingerprints, wire and clay marks can show on screen, and the puppets carry the wear of many shoots. Putting the originals up for auction gives fans a closer look at the objects behind the films.

For the studio, the milestone is also a reminder of how long a small workshop can keep working. Aardman has done it by staying hands-on, and the next chapter arrives at Halloween.