There's Only Enough Clay For One More Aardman Animation Movie

The name Aardman Animation might not be one that everyone instantly recognizes, but they are behind some of the biggest stop-motion movies of our time. That’s right; we’re talking about the likes of ‘Chicken Run’ and ‘Wallace & Gromit’ franchises, but what if their time making big hits has come to an end?

Unfortunately, it’s looking that way right now unless something comes along that can turn it around. That’s because there’s only enough clay for one more Aardman Animation movie due to circumstances entirely out of their control. The answer? As of now, no one is quite sure what this could mean for our beloved characters.

Aardman Animation has lost its clay supplier

Being a stop-motion animation studio means Aardman Animation knows a thing or two about clay. Still, it’s not made by the studios, with Aardman getting its clay from Newclay Products, a company that has long made specialty clay that’s unavailable anywhere else. The issue? Newclay shut its doors in March 2023. With no one else making this type of clay, Aardman lost its clay supplier with no sign that another is coming any time soon.

The clay proved to be the best for Aardman Animation

Of course, those not in the business might assume that all clay is the same, but that’s far from the case. Aardman Animation doesn’t make its movies by using clay that can be found at the craft store, instead using Newclay Products, a type of nylon-reinforced clay that doesn’t need steps that other clays might need, such as glazing and firing. One of Newclay’s directors, Paul Dearing, even commented that it’s given them “tremendous satisfaction that Aardman used our product.”

Newclay Products didn’t have anyone to run the business

With Aardman Animation using Newclay Products for all of their movies, what went wrong? That’s simple: there was no one to take over Newclay. The directors stated they had been running the business for 16 years and “it was thriving,” but they simply couldn’t find anyone who wanted to take over when they retired, so they had little choice but to “[sell] off everything.” After years of creating an incredible legacy and bringing some huge Aardman Animation productions to life, it looked as though it really was the end of a chapter at the start of 2023.

What does this mean for Aardman Animation?

Sadly for Aardman Animation, this has left the studio in a bit of a tight spot. When it was announced that Newclay Products was closing, Aardman bought the rest of the remaining stock, which is said to be about 40 boxes, aka about two years’ worth of clay. However, this was in an attempt to finish the movies they already have in production, which has left Aardman with enough clay to make just one more film. As of now, ‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nuggets’ is still set to hit Netflix on December 15, but it’s unknown what will happen to any other projects as time goes forward. Unless another clay supplier can be found, this could mean some huge changes are coming Aardman’s way.

It turns out there’s only enough clay for one more Aardman Animation movie, but what does that mean for the studio in the future? Right now, that’s all we know. However, unless a new clay supplier can be found, time might be running out on Aardman Animation.