HIT Entertainment Digital Newsroom

Thomas Leaves the Island of Sodor for the First Time in New CG Animated Feature-Length Movie "Misty Island Rescue"

More Than 75 New Tie-In Products from Partners Around the World to Launch in Fall 2010, In Tandem With New Direct to DVD Movie

02/17/2010

NEW YORK, NY & LONDON

HIT Entertainment, one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights owners, has today announced the newest Thomas & Friends™ CG animated feature-length movie, Misty Island Rescue, set for release on DVD from Lionsgate in September in the US, in October in the UK, and across other international territories including Australia, Germany, Benelux and Spain by the end of 2010.

The 60-minute rescue-adventure special sees Thomas the Tank Engine™ leaving the Island of Sodor for the very first time. Misty Island is full of new and colorful characters and new mysterious destinations, and is a place where nothing quite works as it should! This is the also the first feature event that is supported by Thomas & Friends' new best-in-class global partners including Fisher-Price and Mega Bloks, as well as longtime toy partner, Learning Curve.

In Misty Island Rescue, a new Search and Rescue Center is being built on the Island of Sodor. Super strong 'Jobi wood', from Hiro's homeland, is being used to make the Center. Diesel is carrying the Jobi wood when disaster strikes. Thomas has to rescue Diesel from falling off a cliff and all of the Jobi wood crashes into the sea. As a reward for his daring rescue, Thomas gets to visit the mainland - his first trip off of the Island of Sodor. When the raft carrying Thomas becomes separated from its tugboat, he ends up stranded and alone and on the mysterious Misty Island. Thomas soon meets Misty Island's resident engines - three funny logging locos called Bash, Dash and Ferdinand. Thomas also finds that Misty Island has plentiful supplies of the rare Jobi wood! With the help of his new friends, Thomas attempts to find his way back to Sodor and uncovers more of Misty Island's mysteries!

Misty Island Rescue introduces new destinations and four new characters. The Sodor Search and Rescue Center is the new home for Harold the Helicopter, Rocky the Crane, and Captain, a new lifeboat on the Island of Sodor. Misty Island itself is the home to new destinations including the Shake Shake Bridge and the Logging Center.

"As we mark Thomas & Friends' 65th Anniversary, we are very excited to introduce Thomas' greatest adventure to date, and unveil an impressive array of tie-in products across all key categories," said Rick Glankler, Senior Vice President, Global Brand Management, HIT Entertainment. "Thomas is the undisputed #1 engine around the world, and we know that Thomas fans will be enthralled by this heroic rescue story."

To support this feature event, Thomas & Friends licensees worldwide, including Fisher-Price, Random House, Egmont, Mega Bloks and Learning Curve will create more than 75 tie-in products, including books, games, engines, playsets and apparel based on Misty Island Rescue.

Misty Island Rescue is also slated to screen at over 160 theatres across the US through Screenvision in July 2010. A theatrical release in 65 Vue Cinemas across the UK is planned over the weekend of October 2-3, 2010. In addition, at Day Out With Thomas events in North America in 2010, all visitors will receive a mini viewfinder that includes a preview of Misty Island Rescue.

Misty Island Rescue will also be supported with a microsite on the all new Thomas & Friends website, www.thomasandfriends.com, and will be promoted on Thomas' newly launched official Facebook fan page.

Thomas & Friends is the Number One preschool license for the past 10 years in the UK. It is also the Number One licensed preschool toy brand in the US for nine straight years¹ as well as the Number One preschool series on DVD in the US², demonstrating the unrivaled popularity of the global brand.

About HIT Entertainment

HIT Entertainment is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment's Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT also acts as representative for The Wiggles® in the UK. Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing and live events and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US-based preschool channel, PBS KIDS SproutSM, and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China). For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.

To download artwork, please visit www.hitnewsonline.com.

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¹ Source: The NPD Group / Consumer Tracking Service

² Source: Nielsen, Children's Non-Theatrical Rankings