Children's favorite "Thomas the Tank Engine" has a new movie underway and it has a global theme that will touch on an "inclusive and gender balanced" story.
The movie, titled "Thomas & Friend: Big World! Big Adventures," will see Thomas leaving the familiar sites of Sodor to explore the United States, South America, China and Africa.
Up for theater release in the United Kingdom this July 20, the new "Thomas the Tank Engine" film was announced as more inclusive and gender-balanced compared to previous installments in the series. And new female characters will be revealed in the storylines.
Last October, production detailed that characters like Henry and Edward will be replaced by orange-colored engine Nia from Africa and yellow engine Rebecca from China. Their stories will revolve around themes like "quality education, gender equality, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, and life on land."
Producer Ian McCue told the Daily Mail that the shift in the stories was necessary for the growth of "Thomas the Tank Engine" and its audience. Shows focused only on his hometown of Sodor proved limiting.
In the new movie, Thomas will also be shown meeting giant pandas in China, tigers and lions in Africa and India, and kangaroos in Australia.
This is not the first exploration for the British animated character, however. In 2016, "Thomas the Tank Engine" featured an episode where he visited China and became "culturally aware."
McCue also acknowledged that half of the series' audience is mostly made of young girls and while there have been female engines in the series in the past, none had top billing like Nia and Rebecca.
U.S. toy maker Mattel has the rights to the film and TV production of "Thomas the Tank Engine."
