A Bristol company is planning to make nearly 2,000 models of much-loved duo Wallace and Gromit to mark 25 years since the release of Nick Park's 1995 film A Close Shave.
Creators Aardman, also based in the city, are teaming up with product specialist business The Vine Lab, which has launched a kickstarter campaign today (October 22) to raise funding to finance the project.
In a nod to the film’s original release date, there will be just 1,995 silver-effect models - depicting the moment Gromit flies into the air in his sidecar plane - produced as part of the special edition release.
The models are being designed using rare production images from the making of the film, according to Aardman.
Those who pledge funds will receive a model and will also be invited to become part of the product development team, the company said.
Fans who back the campaign will also be able to see how the product develops and access never-seen-before photos and videos from the original production.
Merlin Crossingham, creative director of Wallace and Gromit at Aardman, said: “We are really excited to have teamed up with The Vine Lab to create a very special 25th anniversary collectable.
“It’s obvious to us that the team at The Vine Lab are huge fans of our work and they have crammed in all of the amazing detail we expect from our models into this collectable and the packaging.
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“We are so pleased to offer something truly unique to our fans and would love for them to get involved in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Prices for the model start at £225 and come with white handling gloves, a certificate of authenticity, a storyboard print, behind-the-scenes art cards, and an acknowledgement in the end credits.
There are also packages costing up to £2,500, which include an illustration signed by Nick Park, The Making Of book signed by Merlin Crossingham, and an Aardman model of yourself.
Emma Beeson, co-founder of The Vine Lab, said: “We have worked painstakingly and affectionately to recreate Gromit’s plane using hundreds of archived images and rare footage in order to guarantee an intricately detailed collectors’ model to celebrate a key part of Bristol’s film heritage.
"We can’t wait to work alongside our pledgers to create something truly special.”
Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave was the third film in director Nick Park’s trilogy and, according to Aardman, was the studio's most ambitious project to date.
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The film involved 65,000 hours of work and 625 shots, with the average animator completing just five seconds of film per week.
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, added: “Wallace and Gromit means a lot to many Bristolians, and they are important symbols of the city’s creative heritage.
“For decades families have enjoyed them, and children inspired by their adventures. The 25th anniversary of A Close Shave is a fantastic achievement to celebrate.”
Pledges will be open until November 26. For more information, visit kickstarter.com/projects/thevinelab/wallace-and-gromit-a-close-shave-collectors-model