Editing Aardman Animations (section)

===1997–2007===
In December 1997, Aardman, [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]] (later [[DreamWorks Animation]]) and [[Pathé]] announced that their companies were teaming up to co-finance and distribute ''[[Chicken Run]]'', Aardman's first feature film, which had already been in pre-production for a year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicken Run: Deal clinched with DreamWorks & Pathe|url=http://www.telepathy.co.uk/aardman/news/recent/recent10.html|access-date=30 August 2011|newspaper=Telepathy Ltd|date=3 December 1997}}</ref> On 27 October 1999, Aardman and DreamWorks signed a $250 million<ref>{{cite news | first=Fiachra | last=Gibbons | url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/1999/oct/29/artsfeatures1 | title=Wallace and Gromit's Hollywood deal:Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks signs $250m agreement with animation company that began on kitchen table in Bristol | work=The Guardian | date=29 October 1999 | access-date=17 November 2010}}</ref> deal to make an additional four films that were estimated to be completed during the next 12 years.<ref>{{cite news|last=Moerk|first=Christian|title=DW-Aardman pact drawn|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/dw-aardman-pact-drawn-1117757480/|access-date=3 September 2011|newspaper=Variety|date=27 October 1999}}</ref> Along with the deal their first project was announced, titled ''[[The Tortoise and the Hare]]''. Intended to be based on [[Aesop]]'s fable and directed by [[Richard Goleszowski]],<ref>{{cite news | last=Dawtrey | first=Adam | url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/aardman-s-hare-to-run-with-goleszowski-1117760185/ | title=Aardman's 'Hare' to run with Goleszowski | work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=20 December 1999 | access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> it was paused two years later because of script problems.<ref>{{cite news | last=Linder | first=Brian | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/301/301178p1.html | title=Aardman Halts Tortoise vs. Hare | website=IGN | date=7 July 2001 | access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> On 23 June 2000, ''Chicken Run'' was released to a great critical and financial success. In 2005, after ten years of absence, Wallace and Gromit returned in [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Academy Award]]-winning ''[[Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit|The Curse of the Were-Rabbit]]''. The following year ''[[Flushed Away]]'', Aardman's first computer-animated feature, was released.

On 10 October 2005, a serious fire at a storage facility used by Aardman and other Bristol-based companies destroyed over 30 years of [[Theatrical property|prop]]s, models, and scenery often built by the Bristol-based [[Cod Steaks]]. This warehouse was used for storage of past projects and so did not prevent the production of their current projects at the time. In addition, the company's library of finished films was stored elsewhere and was undamaged. An electrical fault was determined to be the cause of the blaze.<ref>{{cite news | author=BBC News | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/4514306.stm | title=Aardman fire caused by electrics | work=BBC News | date=9 December 2005 | access-date=17 November 2010}}</ref> Referring to the [[2005 Kashmir earthquake]], Park was quoted as saying, "Even though it is a precious and nostalgic collection and valuable to the company, in light of other tragedies, today isn't a big deal."<ref>{{cite news | author=breakingNEWS.ie | url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/archives/2005/1010/entertainment/nick-park-aardman-fire-no-big-deal-in-world-context-224709.html | title=Nick Park: Aardman fire 'no big deal' in world context | website=breakingNEWS.ie | date=10 October 2005 | access-date=17 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.breakingnews.ie/showbiz/entire-wallace-and-gromit-history-lost-in-warehouse-fire-224695.html|title='Entire Wallace and Gromit history' lost in warehouse fire|date=2005-10-10|website=Breaking News|access-date=2019-09-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/oct/11/arts.media|title=Curses, Gromit! Fire destroys animation firm's history on eve of box office triumph|last=Morris|first=Steven|date=2005-10-11|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-09-30|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

On 1 October 2006, right before the release of ''Flushed Away'', ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that due to creative differences, [[DreamWorks Animation]] and Aardman had decided to end their contract.<ref name="thenewyorktimes">{{cite news | first=Laura | last=M. Holson | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E7D91430F930A35753C1A9609C8B63 | title=Is Th-Th-That All, Folks? | work=The New York Times | date=3 October 2006 | access-date=17 November 2010}}</ref> The deal was officially terminated on 30 January 2007.<ref name="variety" /> According to an Aardman spokesperson: "The business model of DreamWorks no longer suits Aardman and vice versa. But the split couldn't have been more amicable."<ref name="variety" /> Unofficial reasons for departure were weak performances of the last two movies, for which DreamWorks had to take writedowns,<ref name="variety" /> and citing the article, "Aardman executives chafed at the creative control DreamWorks tried to exert, particularly with ''Flushed Away''..."<ref name="thenewyorktimes" /> The studio had another film in development, ''Crood Awakening'' (eventually ''[[The Croods]]''), which had been announced in 2005, with [[John Cleese]] co-writing the screenplay.<ref>{{Cite press release|title=DreamWorks and Aardman Are in for a 'Crood Awakening' |website=ir.dreamworksanimation.com |publisher=DreamWorks Animation SKG |date=12 May 2005 |url=http://ir.dreamworksanimation.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=539109 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712141541/http://ir.dreamworksanimation.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=539109 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 July 2012 |access-date=8 December 2010 }}</ref> With the end of the partnership, the film's rights reverted to DreamWorks.<ref name="variety">{{cite news | url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/aardman-dwa-end-partnership-1117958381/ | title=Aardman, DWA end partnership | first=Ben | last=Fritz | work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=30 January 2007 | access-date=18 November 2010}}</ref>

From 2006 to 2007, the [[Ghibli Museum]] in [[Mitaka, Tokyo|Mitaka]], Tokyo, Japan, had an exhibit featuring the works of Aardman Studios. Sproxton and Lord visited the exhibit in May 2006 and met with animator [[Hayao Miyazaki]] during the visit.<ref name="animage">{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2006/11/24/events/events-outside-tokyo/aardman-exhibits-new-miyazaki-anime-on-view|title=Ghibli brings claymation to Tokyo: Aardman exhibits, new Miyazaki anime on view|author=The Japan Times|date=24 November 2006|work=[[The Japan Times]]|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> Miyazaki has long been a fan of Aardman Animations' works.<ref>{{cite web | first=Marty | last= Mulrooney | url=http://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2009/11/27/interview-in-converstion-with-merlin-crossingham-lead-animator-at-aardman-animation/ | title=INTERVIEW – In Conversation With Merlin Crossingham, Lead Animator at Aardman Animation | date=27 November 2009 | access-date=7 November 2010 | website=Alternative Magazine Online| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101116181127/http://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2009/11/27/interview-in-converstion-with-merlin-crossingham-lead-animator-at-aardman-animation/| archive-date= 16 November 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>