Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl - A Nod to The Lord of the Rings

In Netflix's "Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl," there's a scene that may resonate with fans of "The Lord of the Rings."

Norbot's Lair and the Uruk-hai Army

Zany inventor Wallace and his canine companion Gromit face off against the vengeful penguin criminal, Feathers McGraw. Feathers manages to reprogram Wallace's friendly invention Norbot into an evil cohort. Overnight, Norbot creates an army of clones and builds a lair in Wallace's basement. This lair, filled with stolen garden tools and a submarine, is reminiscent of the Uruk-hai army's forge in "The Lord of the Rings." Production designer Matt Perry explains that the concept was to evoke a sense of industrial work and the impending threat.

Submarine Interior and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"

Within Norbot's submarine, Feathers' chair is nicknamed "The Nautilus," a reference to Captain Nemo's fictional submarine in Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Perry says, "We wanted it to feel like a gothic environment, using Victorian gardening tools as decoration."

Animation and Oscar Recognition

While only three animated films have ever been nominated for Best Picture, Perry suggests that production designers like himself should receive more recognition for their contributions to storytelling in animation. Designers collaborate closely with all departments and put as much thought into their work as their live-action counterparts.