Hugh Bonneville revealed as latest star to join roll call of famous faces to appear in show.
Mattel Creations has revealed new details for Thomas & Friends: Journey Beyond Sodor, including Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville as the voice of a new engine.
The 70-minute special will be shown in over 70 countries worldwide, including premiering in UK cinemas on Friday August 25.
Hugh is the latest star to join the roll call of famous faces who have appeared in Thomas & Friends, with Ringo Starr, Eddie Redmayne, Alec Baldwin and Olivia Colman all previously cast for parts.
He voices Merlin, one of three new engines being introduced for the 12th feature length special movie.
New artwork and behind the scenes pictures and a video have also been released ahead of the summer arrival date.
The release of the trailer also coincides with the 72nd anniversary of the first ever Thomas the Tank Engine book – The Three Railway Engines – which was written by the Reverend W. Awdry and published on May 12, 1945.
Christopher Keenan, svp global content and executive producer at Mattel Creations, said: “Thomas & Friends: Journey Beyond Sodor is a shining example of why Thomas continues to enjoy such global success.
“The new movie stays true to the powerful themes that matter most to children and their parents, especially today: celebrating friendship, embracing differences and working together to achieve common goals.
“These themes have been the foundation for Thomas & Friends for over 70 years, but this film brings them to life on an epic scale and promises to be a memorable theatrical event for Thomas fans of every age.”
Products that will support the Journey Beyond Sodor release include new Fisher-Price toy lines featuring four new engines – Hurricane, Merlin and Lexi plus a special Steelwork’s edition of Thomas.
This will be accompanied by play-sets based on the tentpole release including the new Inventors Scrap Yard Set in 2017 and Mainline Engines Greatest Moment Engine Assistant in 2018, as well as consumer products and licensing deals across key categories including clothing, books and puzzles coming to retail in late summer in select markets.
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