{
  "id": 5450347,
  "title": "'Gromit was nearly a cat!': Secrets from 50 years of Aardman",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/gromit-was-nearly-a-cat-secrets-from-50-years-of-aardman",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-04T00:34:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC News",
    "slug": "bbc-news",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn8ell3dngno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Aardman Animations, the Bristol-based animation studio behind iconic characters such as Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Chicken Run, celebrates its 50th anniversary. Founded in 1976 by Sir Peter Lord and Sir David Sproxton, the company has experienced several surprising twists in its journey. Wallace and Gromit became the studio's most famous characters after animator Nick Park joined in 1985. Park initially modeled the cat for an idea of an English guy building a rocket but switched to a dog when it was too difficult. A Grand Day Out, the resulting film, was nominated for an Oscar in 1990 but lost to another Aardman production, Creature Comforts. In the mid-1990s, Aardman's success led to a meeting with Steven Spielberg, who expressed his desire to collaborate on a project similar to The Great Escape. Spielberg's interest in chickens on his ranch influenced the decision to create Chicken Run, which became the highest-grossing stop-motion film ever made. The film's success prompted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to introduce the Best Animated Feature Oscar category in 2001, and Wallace and Gromit won their first Oscar for The Curse of the Were-Rabbit two years later. Shaun the Sheep, first appearing in A Close Shave in 1995, has become one of Aardman's biggest global stars, transcending language barriers through non-verbal communication. Despite executives urging Aardman to give Shaun a voice, the studio stuck to its convictions, resulting in successful feature films. Aardman's humble beginnings as a school project have evolved into a powerhouse in animation, with characters like Morph and Wallace and Gromit cherished by audiences worldwide.",
  "summary": "Aardman turns 50 with stories of cat-like Gromit, silent Shaun and Chicken Run's Oscar legacy.",
  "key_points": [
    "Aardman Animations founded in 1976 by Sir Peter Lord and Sir David Sproxton.",
    "Wallace and Gromit became studio's most famous characters after Nick Park joined in 1985.",
    "Chicken Run's success led to introduction of Best Animated Feature Oscar category."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}