Director Shane Acker, who directed the 2009 animated feature 9, is enlisted by HIT Entertainment who hold the rights to the Thomas the Tank Engine, to direct a live-action feature movie.
The feature movie will be set in Sodor, an island filled with talking trains, where Thomas is among the fanciful characters. Weta Workshop and Mattel's entertainment properties design team have joined the creative team, with the script being written by Chris Viscardi (ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS), Will McRobb (THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX) and Josh Klausner (SHREK THE THIRD).