Honestly, it’s kinda wild to think it’s been over twenty years since a giant clay rabbit first terrorized a bunch of prize-winning marrows. When Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit hit theaters in 2005, the world was already deep into the CGI revolution. Shrek was king, Pixar was untouchable, and stop-motion felt like a relic. Yet, here came Nick Park and the team at Aardman Animations, armed with literal tons of plasticine and a story about a "vegetarian horror film."
It worked. Like, really worked.
You’ve probably seen the duo’s short films, but the feature-length jump was a massive gamble. The movie didn't just survive the transition; it ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It’s one of the few non-CGI films to ever take that trophy. But beyond the shiny awards, there’s a weird, thumbprint-smudged soul in this movie that modern digital animation just can’t replicate.
The Vegetable Mystery Most People Get Wrong
Basically, the plot follows our favorite cheese-obsessed inventor, Wallace, and his long-suffering dog, Gromit. They’ve started a humane pest control business called "Anti-Pesto." They’re protecting the town’s giant vegetables ahead of the annual Giant Vegetable Competition. Things go sideways when Wallace tries to "brainwash" the rabbits into hating veg using his Mind-Manipulation-O-Matic.
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One of the big misconceptions is that the Were-Rabbit is just a generic monster. It's actually a direct parody of classic Hammer Horror films and Universal monsters. Think The Wolf Man, but with more carrots.
Nick Park and co-director Steve Box were very specific about this. They wanted the lighting to feel moody and the shadows to be long, even though the "beast" was just a fluffy, oversized bunny. It’s that contrast between high-stakes horror tropes and the utter silliness of a rabbit-based apocalypse that makes it a masterpiece.
Why the DreamWorks Partnership Was Complicated
A lot of people don’t realize that this film was a co-production with DreamWorks Animation. While the partnership gave Aardman a huge budget—around $30 million—it wasn't all sunshine. Jeffrey Katzenberg and the DreamWorks execs kept pushing for the film to be more "American."
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They wanted to change the title. Originally, it was going to be called The Great Vegetable Plot. DreamWorks thought that sounded too British or too boring. They pushed for "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" because it sounded more like a blockbuster.
- Fingerprints: The animators intentionally left thumbprints on the clay.
- The Voice: Peter Sallis, who had voiced Wallace since the 80s, actually recorded his lines for the film twice.
- The Cast: Bringing in Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter was a huge get. Fiennes, in particular, leaned into his role as the villainous Victor Quartermaine with a level of pomposity that is just... chef's kiss.
The Tragedy Behind the Scenes
While the movie was topping the box office, something terrible happened. In October 2005, a massive fire broke out at Aardman’s warehouse in Bristol. It was devastating. They lost decades of history—original sets, props, and models from Chicken Run and Creature Comforts.
The silver lining? Most of the sets for Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit were actually still in the studio or on tour. If that fire had happened a few months earlier, the movie might have been lost entirely.
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Why Stop-Motion Still Matters in 2026
Even now, looking back, the level of detail is insane. They were finishing about three seconds of usable footage per day. Think about that. Every blink, every twitch of Gromit's brow, every time Wallace says "Wensleydale"—that's a human being moving a puppet by a fraction of a millimeter.
It’s tactile. You can feel the weight of the clay.
The film grossed over $192 million worldwide. Despite that, DreamWorks eventually took a "write-down" on it, claiming it didn't meet their financial expectations. This led to the two companies parting ways. Aardman went back to their roots in Bristol, and DreamWorks stuck to the CG path. Honestly, it was probably for the best. Aardman’s charm comes from being "small" and handmade, even when they’re making a movie about a giant rabbit.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're revisiting the film or showing it to someone for the first time, keep an eye out for these specifics to truly appreciate the craft:
- The Background Gags: Almost every book title on Wallace’s shelf is a pun. "East of Edam," "Brie Encounter"—the writers were clearly having a blast.
- Gromit’s Eyes: He doesn’t have a mouth. All his emotion comes from his brow and the way his eyes are positioned. It’s a masterclass in "silent" acting.
- The 24-Karat Gold Bullet: Look at the visual gags in the finale. The way Victor Quartermaine’s dog, Philip, and Gromit have a "dogfight" in fairground planes is a direct nod to classic war movies.
To get the most out of the Aardman experience today, check out the 2024 sequel Vengeance Most Fowl on Netflix or the BBC. It brings back Feathers McGraw and proves that the "claymation" style is still very much alive and kicking. You can also visit the Aardman exhibits in Bristol if you ever find yourself in the UK; seeing the scale of these sets in person changes how you look at every frame of the 2005 classic.