Merlin Crossingham
Director, Aardman Animations
Oscar® nominated and BAFTA® winning director, MerlinCrossingham ha
Merlin began his career animating on commercials before taking the role of Key Animator on the feature film Chicken Run, followed by lead animator and Second Unit Director on Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Merlin then went on to direct the Creature Comforts USA series in 2007, for which he gained a Primetime Emmy nomination.
Merlin took on the role of Creative Director for Wallace & Gromit in 2009 which expanded his creative responsibilities across the brand from film making to publishing, live events, games and merchandise.In 2011 Merlin won the BAFTA® New Media award for Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention. Alongside his work on the Wallace & Gromit, Merlin has directed dozens of commercials for established brands.
Merlin also directed and voiced the re-launch series of Aardman’s oldest stop motion character, Morph in 2014, the second series in October 2016 and was Series Director on a new longer format series, The Epic Adventures of Morph in 2020.
In 2018 Merlin was Animation Director on Nick Park’s feature film Early Man. Creative Director on Wallace & Gromit’s first Augmented Reality story, The Big Fix Up in 2021 and the Emmy nominated VR experience The Grand Getaway in 2023. Merlin directed the Oscar® and Golden Globe® nominated, double Bafta®winning feature film Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlalongside Nick Park, which was released in 2024.
Merlin is currently directing Lets Go Timmy, for Aardman/BBC.
Merlin is a member of BAFTA and AMPAS and has spoken at numerous animation and film festivals around the world.