It has been confirmed that Aardman Animations, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, have pulled out of their partnership with London Resort.
First revealed by Kent online, it has been confirmed that the animation studio behind the likes of Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Morph, will no longer form a part of the proposed development for the Swanscombe Peninsular in Kent. A spokesman for London Resort, Richard Stokes said:
“The partnerships are under continuous review and when the agreement with Aardman expired both parties decided not to renew the partnership.”
Aardman Animations and London Resort Company Holdings originally signed a Memorandum of Understanding back in February 2015 in an agreement which would have paved the way for the use of some of Aardman Animations’ most famous characters.
Aarman Animations is the second company to part ways with the London Resort development following the departure of Paramount Studios from the project in June 2017. The Resort does still have an agreement with BBC Worldwide and the British Film Institute, however it is unclear if these are now also in doubt. This latest news comes just a few days following the announcement of a new partnership with ITV Studios to bring two children’s IPs to the Resort – Thunderbirds are Go, and Robozuna.
With the departure of two significant partners from the project, many will question if the theme park and leisure resort will have the same appeal as the project which was originally proposed. The project has been going through a period of uncertainty with it being confirmed last November that the project’s opening date had been pushed back to 2024, the fifth time the opening date has been delayed.
Are you disappointed to see the departure of Aardman Animations from the project? What do you think this could mean for London Resort? Share your thoughts over on the Attraction Source Forum.
