ALL ABOARD AS BRAND NEW CG-ANIMATED CHILDREN’S MOVIE OPENS IN CINEMAS ACROSS THE UK & IRELAND ON 20th JULY, 2018

New movie sees Thomas leave Sodor for the very first time to travel to Africa, South America, USA and China meeting new friends along the way including racing car Ace, guest-voiced by Australian singer Peter Andre and first Kenyan tank engine Nia

The world’s most famous blue engine and pre-schoolers’ favourite, Thomas the Tank Engine, is gearing up for his biggest adventure yet in Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures! The Movie – the brand new 80-minute CG-animated special showing from 20th July, 2018 in UK & Irish cinemas.

Thomas & Friends - Big World! Big Adventures! The Movie

Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures! The Movie sees Thomas undertake his most epic journey ever as he leaves Sodor to fulfil his dream of seeing the world. The action-packed adventure begins when a mischievous little racing car called Ace comes to Sodor and inspires Thomas to embark on an ambitious trip without the Fat Controller’s permission!

This heroic quest takes Thomas across deserts, through jungles and over dangerous mountains as he travels across five continents seeing sights he has never seen before. On his journey to discover new places and cultures, Thomas makes friends with an adventurous, inspiring and fun tank engine from Kenya called Nia. But with so much for Thomas to learn about the world, will Nia be successful in teaching him a lesson about the true meaning of friendship?

New friend Nia is the first African tank engine to join Thomas & Friends and comes with her own sense of adventure. To ensure that she comes with a rich and accurate background for children to appreciate, her character was specially developed with the help of the UN and experts from the Royal African Society.
Thomas the Tank Engine™ was created over 70 years ago and that story quickly grew through content to become the award-winning global brand franchise it is today, with multiple touch-points and formats, including apps; toy consumer products; publishing; live attractions and much more with over 1 engine sold per second. Watched in over 160 territories, in over 50 languages with over 1.16 billion lifetime views on YouTube, Thomas &

Friends offers more than 80 hours of original content produced from 500 episodes and 12 specials.

THOMAS & FRIENDS™: BIG WORLD! BIG ADVENTURES! THE MOVIE (Rated U) WILL BE RELEASED IN OVER 400 CINEMAS ACROSS THE UK & IRELAND FROM FRIDAY, 20TH JULY

Tickets on sale now http://thomasbwbamovie.co.uk
-ENDS-

FOR FILM REVIEW, FEATURE AND COMPETITION ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT:
lisa@fetch.fm or almar@fetch.fm at Fetch Publicity - 0203 405 4312

FOR DOWNLOADABLE ASSETS PLEASE VISIT:
www.fetch.fm

FOR TALENT OPPORTUNITIES OR BRAND INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
donna.bennett@mattel.com

About Thomas & Friends™
Thomas the Tank Engine™ was created over 70 years ago, by a British clergyman, the Rev W Awdry, as a storybook for his son. That story quickly grew to become the award-winning global brand franchise it is today, enjoyed by families in more than 160 territories and over 55 languages across multiple touch-points and formats, including: 500+ original TV shows; 12 feature-length films; 27 websites in 13 languages; apps; toys; consumer products; publishing; live attractions and much more. Thomas & Friends has earned numerous prestigious accolades including, a Parent’s Choice Award, a Webby and a Licensing Award for Best Classic Licensed Property. Thomas & Friends is viewable on more than 30 world-class broadcasters including Nick Jr. in the US, Super RTL in Germany, and on Five’s Milkshake! in the UK. Thomas & Friends can also be viewed across digital platforms including Hulu, iTunes, YouTube and more. On YouTube, the Thomas & Friends channel has had over 1.16 billion lifetime views, over 909k subscribers and 2.6MM engagements. For more information about the world of Thomas & Friends, please visit www.thomasandfriends.com and facebook.com/thomasandfriends

About Mattel
Mattel is a creations company that inspires the wonder of childhood. Our mission is to be the recognized leader in play, learning and development worldwide. Mattel’s portfolio of global consumer brands includes American Girl®, Barbie®, Fisher-Price®, Hot Wheels® and Thomas & Friends™, among many others. Mattel also creates a wealth of lines and products made in collaboration with leading entertainment and technology companies. With a global workforce of approximately 32,000 people, Mattel operates in 40 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.

About National Amusements
National Amusements owns and operates Showcase and Showcase Cinema de Lux, a world leader in the film exhibition industry, operating more than 940 screens in the US, UK, Brazil and Argentina. National Amusements is also a theatrical distributor specialising in event releases, with a focus on anime and pre-school titles including “Your Name”, “Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F” and “Thomas & Friends: Journey Beyond Sodor”. National Amusements is also the parent company of both Viacom and CBS Corporation.