Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us anywhere you listen to podcasts or listen in the embedded player below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you’re feeling generous, you enjoy what you hear, and you want to hear more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, and you’ll receive some exclusive podcast content from us, including this review ad-free.

You can follow Matt, Nadia, Josh & Daniel and hear more of their thoughts on the Oscars and Film on X at @NextBestPicture, @nadreviews, @JRParham, & @howatdk

The post The Next Best Picture Podcast – “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” appeared first on Next Best Picture.

Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us anywhere you listen to podcasts or listen in the embedded player below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you’re feeling generous, you enjoy what you hear, and you want to hear more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, and you’ll receive some exclusive podcast content from us.

The post The Next Best Picture Podcast – Interview With “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” Directors Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham appeared first on Next Best Picture.

Thank you so much for listening. The Next Best Picture Podcast is proud to be a part of the Evergreen Podcasts Network. You can subscribe to us anywhere you listen to podcasts or listen in the embedded player below. Please take a moment to review us on Apple Podcasts here. And if you’re feeling generous, you enjoy what you hear, and you want to hear more, please help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, and you’ll receive some exclusive podcast content from us.

You can follow Matt, Nadia, Dan & Giovanni and hear more of their thoughts on the Oscars and Film on Twitter @NextBestPicture, @nadreviews, @dancindanonfilm & @TheGiovanniLago

The post The Next Best Picture Podcast: Episode 418 – “Glicked,” Final Awards Contenders, “How To Train Your Dragon” & “Parthenope” Trailers appeared first on Next Best Picture.

THE CAST – Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel & Reece Shearsmith

THE TEAM – Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham (Directors) & Mark Burton (Writer)

THE RUNNING TIME – 79 Minutes

Beloved British icons Wallace and Gromit debuted 35 years ago in the animated short film “A Grand Day Out,” directed by Nick Park. Since then, Park has directed the pair in three more shorts, a feature film, and some television, winning three Oscars along the way. For all these decades, Park’s studio, Aardman Animation, has excelled in making these handcrafted adventures, even as computer animation nearly killed traditional animated features. There’s something special about Aardman’s claymation; each film is carefully crafted and full of fingerprints and imperfections. It’s a human touch that’s sometimes lost with CGI. As it turns out, this is the primary theme of their newest film, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” directed by Park and Merlin Crossingham.

Though it’s been years since their last adventure, Wallace & Gromit haven’t missed a beat. Neither has the dastardly Feathers McGraw. Decades after his arrest for stealing the legendary Blue Diamond, McGraw has been toiling away in prison (a Zoo), waiting for the perfect opportunity to get revenge on the inventor and dog who put him away. Park and Crossingham’s sense of comedic timing is so well-tuned that a simple cutaway to the emotionless penguin is laugh-out-loud funny. This dead-eyed penguin (or is he a chicken?) steals every scene he’s in, even without moving an inch. For newcomers to the series who have never seen McGraw, these moments might not be quite as funny, but longtime fans know the evils lurking within those dead eyes.

While McGraw plots his revenge, Wallace (Ben Whitehead, taking over for the late Peter Sallis) is inventing away, this time trying to help Gromit be more efficient in the garden. He invents the Norbot (Reece Shearsmith), a “smart” gnome programmed for landscaping. Gromit’s spent ages making this garden look homey and beautiful, full of color and life, but Norbot puts a swift end to that. Right away, Norbot, trained by consuming hours of DIY television, ruins the lovely garden by making everything look clean, trimmed, and without an ounce of color. Much to Gromit’s chagrin, the robot’s work blows the community away, putting him on the local news. Once McGraw hears about Wallace’s newest invention, he sees his opportunity to strike.

“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is utterly silly, like the best in the series. The endless gags and puns never get old, and they’re thrown out at the audience non-stop. The story has a ton of energy and forward momentum, so it never sags in its 79-minute runtime. It’s fast-paced and absurd, but the movie remains perfectly small-scale. The score, composed by Lorne Balfe using Julian Nott’s themes, provides a playful atmosphere for the caper. McGraw may steal the show, but Norbot’s robotic antics are a perfect foil for the pliable Wallace and co.

While “Wallace & Gromit” shorts are no stranger to criticizing technology, this new entry, the first since the rise of AI and tech ruling the world, feels even more apparent. Even before Norbot turns evil, he “helped” with the gardening by robbing it of all its life, turning it into some homogenized, squared-off lump of hedges. This is what AI does to art, making something that resembles other, better things while removing any humanity. It’s precisely why Aardman’s movies have remained so beloved all these years – you can feel the human effort put into each one. The film’s message isn’t subtle, but it’s mild enough to hit home without detracting from the joy of the movie.

The heart of “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” as always, is the love between the title characters. Though Wallace can occasionally attempt to outsource his affection for Gromit to inventions (creating a “patting machine” to pet Gromit), the bumbling inventor is nothing without his best pal. Technology can never replace actual human (or pet) connections. Nearly two decades after their last feature-length outing, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is another delightful entry in the series and a reminder of the charms that can only come from something handmade. It’s one of the best-animated films of the year.

The post “WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL” appeared first on Next Best Picture.

In this next installment, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again! The family-friendly film will screen in the afternoon on October 27th, the Closing Day of the festival, at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre as part of the Red Carpet Premieres section. Passes are available at FEST.AFI.com.

“We are delighted that our film will have its world premiere at AFI FEST in LA’s iconic Chinese Theatre,” said the film’s directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham. “Years in the making, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is an epic adventure that brings together everything people love most about Aardman, from stop motion craft, to character and story, and we can’t wait for audiences to see what antics our favourite duo have been up to!”

Hannah Minghella, Netflix Head of Feature Animation and Family Film, said, “I’m thrilled that “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” will have its world premiere at the esteemed AFI FEST, where we previously premiered “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” in the U.S. We know audiences and fans will be excited to see what directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham have in store for the next grand adventure of Aardman’s beloved and award-winning duo.”

The film will be coming to Netflix (excluding the UK) this winter.

Are you excited for this announcement? What is your favorite Ardman films? Are you excited to see ““Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl?” Are you looking to attend the AFI Film Festival this year? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our Twitter account.

The post “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” Will Have Its World Premiere At The 2024 AFI Film Festival appeared first on Next Best Picture.

Netflix’s 2024 awards season slate includes several movies that were incredibly popular on the 2023 film festival scene. Projects like “Hit Man” and “His Three Daughters” all debuted at the biggest 2023 film festivals. However, after shelling out for these titles, Netflix held the titles back from official release until 2024 to help fill vacant slots in its schedule (with Anna Kendrick’s feature directorial debut from TIFF 2023 “Woman of the Hour” still MIA as of today).

Netflix’s overall biggest awards season contender released this year will be Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,“ due to its ability to score Oscar nominations in above and below the line categories. A big Cannes 2024 sensation (and winner of the Best Actress award from the festival), Netflix has U.S. rights to the acclaimed musical. If the streamer can create a solid awards campaign for the idiosyncratic “Emilia Pérez,” it could go far in the Oscar race, snagging nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for its breakout star Karla Sofía Gascón, dual Best Supporting Actress nominations for Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez and many more. After all, recent Cannes darlings have also had a habit of securing lots of Oscar love recently, with the Academy’s membership skewering more international than ever before, and Audiard is a world-renowned auteur who fits the classic definition of a potential international Best Director nominee who is overdue for some recognition from the Academy. Like “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Roma” before it, if it can secure its country’s selection for Best International Feature Film, with the Best Picture buzz already attached to it this early, it will be a shoo-in for at least one Oscar win.

Could Azazel Jacobs’ “His Three Daughters“ have a shot at some accolades? Maybe, but its September release date means it’s arriving pretty early in the award season cycle so it could get left behind quickly. Plus, it’s the kind of smaller-scale title that doesn’t benefit from Netflix’s style of releasing movies via limited qualifying release in New York and LA before dropping on Netflix two weeks later. However, it getting out of the way now could help solidify its contention status for Natasha Lyonne in Best Supporting Actress and Jacobs’ writing for Best Original Screenplay. Similarly, Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” could’ve been a Best Actor contender for its megastar Glen Powell. Still, its June 2024 release date will likely keep it away from the Oscars’ radar, with an outside possibility of scoring a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination still on the table, given the film’s entertaining style of writing and love for multi-previous-nominee Linklater.

If any late 2024 Netflix movie is likely bound for the biggest Oscar categories above the line, it’s Malcolm Washington’s “The Piano Lesson.“ An adaptation of an August Wilson play of the same name, “The Piano Lesson,” is already acclaimed in its original stage format. It starred John David Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, who are reprising their roles for the big screen. Additionally, the last two modern August Wilson film adaptations (“Fences“ and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom“) each scored significant Oscar nominations, with “Fences“ winning Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Viola Davis and securing a Best Picture Oscar nomination while “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” contended for Best Actress (David again) and Best Actor (the late great Chadwick Boseman), winning for Best Costume Design and Hair & Makeup. That’s a good legacy to build on, especially since the film could be a prime opportunity to give acclaimed actor Samuel L. Jackson only his second acting Oscar nomination and first competitive win after he was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2022.

Other late 2024 Netflix films, such as the Taron Edgerton/Jason Bateman thriller “Carry-On,“ seem to be banking more on mainstream ubiquity rather than Oscar glory. The Sydney Freeland drama “Rez Ball“ is set for a World Premiere in Toronto, but we expect it to follow the same path as another sports drama “The Swimmers” did before. Tyler Perry’s war movie “Six Triple Eight“ could still be announced for a fall festival run. Still, it being left off the TIFF Galas and Special Presentations list suggests this will just be a commercial play for the famous director.

As is always the case, reviews and film festival hype will determine the Oscar fates of many of these films. “Emilia Pérez” is expected to play at Telluride and New York Film Festival on top of TIFF, and “The Piano Lesson” will have its world premiere at Telluride, making this a rare year where Netflix will have zero presence at the Venice International Film Festival, a place that has served as the launching pad for Best Picture nominees such as “Roma,” “Marriage Story,” “The Power of the Dog” and last year’s “Maestro.” Should things look dire regarding the reactions for either “Emilia Pérez” or “The Piano Lesson,” Netflix could end up acquiring another potentially substantial awards season player with titles like Pablo Larrain’s “Maria,” Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer,” and Ron Howard’s “Eden” still seeking distribution.

Netflix’s Oscar ambitions are broader than the categories we’ve already outlined. The streamer is also looking to score Oscar nominations every year for Best Documentary and Animated Feature. Currently, Netflix’s best possibilities for getting into the Documentary Feature category are through Sundance 2024 acquisitions “Will & Harper,” “Ibelin,” “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” or “Daughters.“ Given the Documentary branch’s disdain for popular titles that cultivate too broad of an audience, we expect “Daughters” to be the one they gravitate towards the most. In Best Animated Feature, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl“ seems to be Netflix’s best possible candidate, with “Ultraman: Rising“ or “Spellbound” as a potential spoiler nominee depending on their reception and how the rest of the field shapes up.

These Netflix award season 2024 titles will attempt to fight back against the streamer’s odd Oscar track record in recent years. This Silicon Valley entity has had no problem securing Oscar nominations; they’re guaranteed to have a presence every year given the variety of titles, categories they can contend for, and financial backing they receive. After all, a quarter of this past year’s acting Oscar nominees were from Netflix movies. However, Oscar wins have proven somewhat elusive to Netflix. At two of the last three Oscars, Netflix took home only one Oscar at each ceremony. This was despite the company spending tens of millions on awards campaigning. Unfortunately, all of that money couldn’t translate into a boatload of Oscar victories for the company, nor a Best Picture win, which they’ve come painfully close to obtaining before with beloved critical favorites “Roma” and The Power of the Dog.”

While Oscar wins for Best International Film (“All Quiet on the Western Front“), Best Animated Feature (“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio“), and Wes Anderson’s only Oscar win to date for Best Live-Action Short Film last year (“The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar“) are nice; the streamer would probably like to win more than one Oscar this year and preferably have one of them be for Best Picture. With a reduced slate this year, split campaigning, which has been called out as a possible detriment in the past, should not be an obstacle for them this year as they will have the runway and power to push their contenders strategically.

Soon enough, it’ll become clear where Netflix’s 2024 Oscar fate lies. Just as “Maestro“ and “The Power of the Dog” quickly emerged as the streamer’s major award season contenders in their respective years of release, the fall 2024 film festival circuit will unveil Netflix’s next possible pathway toward Oscar glory. With such a robust and focused lineup, many further Netflix Oscar nominations seem inevitable. Only time will tell if Netflix can genuinely take home more wins than they have in recent years, but the potential is certainly there.

Which Netflix titles have a shot at Oscar nominations this year? Please let us know in the comments section below or on Next Best Picture’s X account and be sure to check out the Next Best Picture team’s latest Oscar predictions here.

You can follow Lisa and hear more of her thoughts on the Oscars & Film on her portfolio here

The post Netflix’s 2024 Oscar Ambitions, Priorities & Chances appeared first on Next Best Picture.