Everything you need to know about Early Man

Aardman, the animation studio behind Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run and Arthur Christmas are back with a brand new stop-motion joyride. Here are the facts…

Spoilers may follow.

What’s it about?

Set at the dawn of time (or, rather, in the Stone Age-ish), Early Man is the story of Dug and his tribe. They live in a beautiful valley, surrounded by a dangerous world of prehistoric creatures and woolly mammoths, but must rally together when the despicable Lord Nooth arrives to conquer the community.

Dug and friends, including his sidekick boar Hognob, must travel to Lord Nooth’s Bronze Age City to save their home, with the help of citizen Goona, by taking part in a winner-takes-all game of football.

Who’s in it?

An all-star cast of Brits sees Eddie Redmayne – who reprises his role as Fantastic Beasts‘ Newt Scamander later this year – voice Dug, with Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams taking on the role Goona.

Continuing his penchant for fun villains, Tom Hiddleston plays Lord Nooth, with Rob Brydon as his message bird.

In something of a Harry Potter ensemble reunion, Mark Williams, Miriam Margoyles, and Timothy Spall lend their talents to the voices of Barry, Queen Oofeefa and Chief Bobnar.

Other parts are taken by Kayvan Novak, Johnny Vegas, and Simon Greenall – best known for playing Alan Partridge’s Geordie pal Michael.

Who’s made it?

Early Man comes from the gleefully creative mind of Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit. Incredibly, this is the first feature film that Park – who was also behind Chicken Run – has a solo directing credit for.

A joke-heavy script has been written by Mark Burton, James Higginson and John O’Farrel, based on an original story by Park.

Peter Lord, who co-directed Chicken Run with Park, produces, alongside David Sproxton, executive producer of the Shaun the Sheep Movie, and Park himself.

An Aardman-quirky score comes from Harry Greyson-Williams and Tom Howe.