A new bronze statue of the villainous Feathers McGraw has been unveiled in Preston, standing near his long-time rivals, Wallace and Gromit.
The Wrong Trousers, an Oscar-winning short film about a criminal penguin posing as a chicken, starred the character in his return as a character in the new movie that debuted on Christmas Day 2024.
Crowds gathered to watch Nick Park, the Preston-born creator of the beloved animation series, reveal the 4ft-high sculpture. The event was met with cheers—and a few playful boos. One onlooker even shouted, “Arrest that chicken”!, referencing Feathers ‘ infamous disguise.
Feathers made a comeback with Vengeance Most Fowl, and he has since received Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature. The statue was unveiled outside Animate, Preston’s new £45 million entertainment complex, which features an eight-screen Arc Cinema, a Hollywood Bowl with 16 lanes, and several restaurants.
Park and Preston Mayor Philip Crowe were present at the official opening. Park said, “As a proud Prestonian, I couldn’t be more ‘ egg-cited ‘ to see Feathers McGraw joining Wallace and Gromit in my hometown. I’m not sure how happy Wallace and Gromit will be, though, to have their arch-nemesis a little too close for comfort”.
Feathers McGraw’s statue now stands near Wallace and Gromit’s existing bronze bench at Preston Markets, which Park unveiled in 2021. Councillor Matthew Brown, leader of Preston City Council, called the new statue “a fantastic complement” to the Wallace and Gromit bench, noting how popular it has been with visitors.
Park’s Aardman Animations has won four Oscars, including Best Animated Short Film for The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave, as well as Best Animated Feature for Wallace &, Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
Wallace &, Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, which was a festive hit as it aired over Christmas, has been nominated for several major awards including Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. It also received awards for Best Children’s and Family Film and Best Animated Film in three other categories at the BAFTA Film Awards.
Our favorite cheese-loving inventor and his devoted dog find themselves dealing with a “smart gnome” in Vengeance Most Fowl, which begins to elicit signs of independent thought. Meanwhile, their old nemesis from The Wrong Trousers, Feathers McGraw, plots revenge and aims to thwart Wallace and Gromit’s plans as they launch a new business venture.
The movie was the first Wallace and Gromit film in 16 years, and it also was the first one without Peter Sallis, the actor who was Wallace’s original voice. After Sallis’ declining health made acting more challenging, Ben Whitehead assumed the role in the 2010s. Since then, he has since voiced Wallace in shorts, plays, and features. Sadly, Peter the actor passed away in 2017.
Nick Park had previously expressed the challenges of creating a Wallace and Gromit film without Sallis, and in the lead-up to the release of Vengeance Most Fowl, Park reflected to the BBC: “It has been quite emotional (doing this production) since we lost Peter, he was such an original, unique voice”.
“So it’s very hard for anyone to step into his shoes. However, we have a young actor who is capable of performing fantastic Wallace impersonations and who we have known for many years. He’s stepped in very kindly, and is just great. It’s hard to tell them apart”.
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply