AI not a threat to films, say Shaun the Sheep creators

Shaun the Sheep creators say AI will not replace the craft of storytelling as the franchise's latest film arrives in UK cinemas.

Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom has a Halloween flavour as Shaun has to turn into a mad scientist to save the day.

Speaking ahead of its launch, producer Richard Beek said despite the rise of AI and CGI within the film industry, stop-motion movies are still being made and winning BAFTAs.

"Maybe somewhere down the line there's a tool we use which uses AI but I don't think it would ever replace the storytelling and creation of those stories," he said.

Despite the film having no dialogue, it has a star-studded voice cast, including Dani Dyer, Justin Fletcher, Nina Sosanya, Paul Whitehouse and Roman Kemp.

It will also feature a brand-new remix of Shaun the Sheep's iconic theme tune, Life's A Treat, by British hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks.

Aardman celebrated its 50th birthday this year, after it was founded by school friends Sir Peter Lord and Sir David Sproxton in 1976.

The Bristol company went on to create Morph, Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run, and become the world's most successful stop-motion film.

Shaun first appeared in the Wallace and Gromit film A Close Shave in 1995 and has become one of the studio's biggest stars.

Like all the other animals, he expresses himself through bleats, grunts and hugely dynamic facial expressions - which is part of his global appeal.

Yet executives repeatedly urged Aardman to give him a voice, when the first TV series launched and the first feature film was made in 2015.

Students at Aardman's Academy are also being taught to embrace imperfection in the painstaking art of stop-motion, where every blink, smile and movement is created by hand.

Art director Kitty Clay said a lot of the models are still being used 20 years after they were made.

She said a lot of the props have "a personal touch" too, from her mum's ironing board to her granny's lampshade in the living room.

Co-director Matthew Walker said: "It's been really exciting to explore a Shaun story in a new genre.

"We did sci-fi with Farmageddon and now we're in Halloween horror but without the scares - it's more comedy," he said.

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is showing in UK cinemas this week and next.

The film will then be available to watch later on Sky Cinema and NOW TV.