Draft:Thomas & Friends (film)
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Thomas & Friends is an upcoming American fantasy adventure film based on the franchise and television series created by Britt Allcroft.[a] Directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by Alyssa Hill and Jesse Wigutow, it is the second live-action animated feature film in the Thomas & Friends franchise, following Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000).
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Jesse Wigutow
Renée Wolfe
| Thomas & Friends | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Marc Forster |
| Screenplay by | Alyssa Hill Jesse Wigutow |
| Based on | [a] |
| Produced by | Marc Forster Renée Wolfe |
Production companies | Mattel Studios 2Dux² |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
A second live-action Thomas film was first attempted by HIT Entertainment in 2009 before they were acquired by Mattel. Forster was announced to be directing a new Thomas film in October 2020. It is currently in active development, being produced by 2Dux² alongside Mattel Studios.
Premise
Upon its announcement in 2020, executive producer Robbie Brenner stated that the film would "tell Thomas' story in a modern and unexpected way".[1]
Production
Development
The first Thomas & Friends film adaptation, Thomas and the Magic Railroad, released in 2000 and grossed almost US$20 million.[2] A second live-action Thomas & Friends film was first attempted in March 2009, when previous Thomas brand owner HIT Entertainment announced that a live-action Thomas & Friends film would pilot its theatrical division. It was originally targeted for a late 2010 release,[3] but this was later revised to early 2011.[4] The last update was that Shane Acker would direct, with Wētā Workshop and Mattel joining the creative team, Cinetic Media and UTA Independent Film Group financing and distributing, and Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi writing the script.[5] In October 2011, Mattel purchased HIT Entertainment for $680 million, focused on acquiring the Thomas franchise,[6] and later absorbed HIT into the newly-formed Mattel Creations.[7]
In September 2018, Mattel launched a film division, Mattel Films, to develop and produce features based on its intellectual properties. Gregg Kilday of The Hollywood Reporter reported that the film rights to Mattel's brands had expired by the time of the announcement, leaving them with the opportunity to develop future adaptations.[8] In October 2020, the studio confirmed that a new Thomas & Friends film was in development, described as "a four-quadrant family adventure that blends live-action and animation". Marc Forster was hired to direct from a screenplay by Alyssa Hill and Jesse Wigutow. Forster and Renée Wolfe will produce through their studio, 2Dux², while Robbie Brenner and Kevin McKeon oversee production for Mattel.[2][1]
In July 2023, in an interview with Alex Barasch from The New Yorker, McKeon assured that specific adaptations from Mattel Films would not deviate from their respective source materials, remarking that "Thomas the Tank Engine isn't going on a bender with his friends".[9] Later that month, Elizabeth Wagmeister from Variety reported that Thomas & Friends was in "active development" alongside 13 other Mattel films, describing it as a fantasy film.[10] In June 2025, the Mattel Films and Mattel Television divisions merged to become Mattel Studios, with development on Thomas & Friends and other Mattel features uninterrupted.[11]
See also
- Thomas and the Magic Railroad – the previous Thomas feature film
- Thomas & Friends (franchise) § Films and specials
Notes
- The Thomas & Friends television series is adapted from The Railway Series, created by Wilbert Awdry.
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