Clearly what the world needs is a live-action full length movie of Thomas the Tank Engine, but since the script was co-written by one of the guys behind the “Let’s see if we can’t get a little more cash out of what was once a decent concept” film Shrek the Third, I’m sure this won’t be just an excuse to create another line of toys or anything, but a touching tribute to the bond between a father and his son.
You people didn’t give a great children’s film like The Iron Giant the attention it deserves, so now this is what we get. Thanks.
HIT Entertainment, rights holder to the Thomas the Tank Engine kiddie juggernaut, is moving forward with its first live action theatrical film. Shane Acker, who directed the 2009 animated film 9, will direct a film set in Sodor, the island of talking trains., where Thomas is among a litany of characters . Weta Workshop and Mattel’s entertainment properties design team have joined the creative team, and the financing and distribution is being sold by Cinetic Media and the UTA Independent Film Group. the script was written by Chris Viscardi & Will McRobb. and Shrek the Third’s Josh Klausner.
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“I’m a recent father, with a 20-month old daughter,” he told Deadline. “We lead such busy lives in Hollywood, always running and hustling, but children tend to slow you down a bit and reconnect you with that inner world. It reinvents your imagination, seeing things through a child’s eyes It was transformative for me and that is what inspired me about the possibilities here. The tale will revolve around a pre-teen boy who has drifted apart from his father. The son is introduced into this world of Sodor, a place his father visited as a child but can’t remember. There is a bonding experience.”
[HT: Pop Culture Brain]
This article appears in Jun 9-15, 2011.
What kind of example does this set for our children? “Sir Topham Hatt”, if that is his real name, forces his workers to labor under terrible conditions. While he drives around in a tuxedo, warning the workers against causing “confusion and delay”, the railroad is literally falling apart! Every episode of this show involves some kind of accident caused by overwork or lack of maintenance. If Upton Sinclair had seen the working conditions on Sodor, he doubtlessly would have soiled his pants.
Sorry – I won’t be taking my children to see this “film” until Sir Topham Hatt stops exploiting his workers, and starts putting some of his considerable wealth into seeing that the railroad meets minimal safety standards.