The Great Discovery



The Great Discovery is an upcoming direct-to-DVD special, it is the second special since "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" and the first to be shown in theaters since.

This special is expected to be released in autumn of 2008. It will be the first "Thomas and Friends" production to be narrated by Pierce Brosnan.

Plot
The railway is preparing for the celebration of the Sodor Day holiday, and Thomas and James are racing to the wharf to be given a special job by Mr. Percival. Thomas wins, and is sent into the hills to collect lumber with Duncan. Thomas teases the little engine, who decides to pay Thomas out by sending him on a fool's errand - telling him that an old, disused line will lead him back to the wharf faster. After avoiding an old, collapsing bridge, Thomas takes another route at the old junction, and as he journeys farther down the line, he comes across an old overgrown town.

The news of Thomas' discovery spreads, and eventually reaches The Fat Controller. He tells Thomas that the town is Great Waterton - the largest town on Sodor when steam engines first came to the island. The Fat Controller decides that the restoration of the legendary lost town would be perfect for the celebration of Sodor Day, and calls Miss Jenny Packard's construction crew to help with the process. Thomas is told to take charge of the engines working on the lines around the town. Meanwhile, a shiny new tank engine named Stanley is brought to the railway to perform Thomas' regular jobs.

All of the engines take to Stanley, who does a good job and has fun as well. When Thomas sees Stanley doing his jobs and fraternizing with his friends, he becomes jealous. Thomas is furious when Stanley takes his place at Tidmouth Sheds, and the final straw comes when Thomas has a bad accident and Stanley takes his place as the leader of the Great Waterton operation.

When Thomas is mended, he is shunting trucks of stone for Stanley to take away. He decides to make Stanley look foolish by shunting too many trucks, hoping that Stanley would not be able to climb the hill out of the town and look foolish in front of the other engines. The plan backfires, however - as Stanley ascends the hill, a coupling breaks, and the trucks race down the hill. They veer into a siding and crash into the newly-finished tower, which then collapses. The Fat Controller states that this will likely set back the restoration past Sodor Day. Thomas is blamed for giving Stanley too many trucks to pull, and the engines are angry when they realize Thomas does not like Stanley. Stanley, however, decides that Thomas merely missed his friends, and wants to set things right.

At night, Thomas decides to clear the trucks of rubble out of the way at Great Waterton. He is almost finished when he accidentally bumps a truck into an old mine. Racing in after it, Thomas races down the shaft, until he crashes onto a wooden platform and floats down an underground waterway. The engines soon realize that Thomas is missing, and The Fat Controller organizes a search effort. Meanwhile, Thomas continues floating until he reaches an opening to the mine, and is flung across a canyon and down a hill.

Stanley decides to make another search effort before he has to return to work. Thomas, with the bit of steam he has left, sounds a loud, long whistle. Stanley hears it and hurries to where Thomas is stranded beside the track. The two make up for their quarrel and Stanley pulls Thomas back onto the rails. The strain is too much for Stanley, and a valve in his cab bursts. In an effort to return, Thomas is given some dry coal and his fire is started. Thomas pushes Stanley back to Great Waterton, and the word travels across the island that Thomas has been found. As a sign of friendship, Thomas offers Stanley his last job - to bring the mayor to the Sodor Day festivities at Great Waterton. The engines gather at the town for the celebration, and Thomas realizes just how important his friends are.

Theatrical Release
The Great Discovery: The Movie was shown in select theaters in the U.S. throughout July and showing on the weekends and in the U.K., throughout September. Australia will also get it in November.

DVD Special Features
HiT Entertainment has announced that several new "Great Discovery" interactive features will be included on the DVD release as well as a Behind the Scenes Featurette starring Pierce Brosnan.

List of "The Great Discovery" Bonus Features:


 * Thomas You're The Leader (Music Video and Karaoke)
 * Behind the Scenes with Pierce Brosnan (Interview)
 * Spot the Difference (Learning Activity with Thomas & Friends #1)
 * Tough Trucks! (Learning Activity with Thomas & Friends #2)
 * Thomas' Puzzle Parts (Learning Activity with Thomas & Friends #3)
 * Trailers

Merchandising
An audio CD of "The Great Discovery" will be released in the U.K. this September: 

A die-cast Take Along model of Stanley will be introduced into the Take Along System: 

A wooden model of Stanley will be introduced into the Wooden Railway System: 

A wooden model of a mud-covered Thomas will be introduced into the Wooden Railway System: 

A new line of toys, called the Talking Railway Series line, will be introduced this fall including a "Great Discovery" set: 

Hornby is to release a "Great Discovery" set with a tired looking Thomas.

Trackmaster is to realease "Thomas at Action Canyon" that includes a steep mountain track, a tumbling bridge, and a bursting waterfall.

Trackmaster will realease Stanley in September 2008.

The Credits
THE GREAT DISCOVERY Written by SHARRON MILLER

Supervising Producer SAM BARLOW

Educational Consultant MARRY ANN DUDKO PhD

Director of Photography TERRY PERMANE

Head of Production MATT PORTER

1st Assistant Director CONRAD AYLING

Camera Operator NIGEL PERMANE

Stills Photographer ANDREW MITCHELL

Gaffer MICHAEL FLYNN

Electrician PAUL WEAR

Made at SHEPPERTON STUDIOS

Model Designer and Video Effects Supervisor DAVID EVES

Workshop Crew ...

Stage Crew ...

Scenic Artist GRAHAME MENAGE

Production Co-ordinator LARRY ALLEN

Editor KATE BUCKLAND

Online and Video Effects PLATFORM POST PRODUCTION

Graphics ROB FELLOWS

Dubbing Mixer PAUL HARRIS

Voice Director JAMIE THOMASON

Music Composed By ROBERT HARTSHORNE

Songs By ED WELCH

"Thomas, You're The Leader" Arranged and Produced By ...

Executive Producer CHRISTOPHER SKALA

Produced by SIMON SPENCER

HIT Entertainment

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Emily
 * Stanley (new character)
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Lady Hatt
 * Mayor of Sodor
 * Mr. Percival
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Sir Handel
 * Peter Sam
 * Rusty
 * Duncan
 * Freddie
 * Mighty Mac
 * Miss Jenny
 * Jack
 * Alfie
 * Oliver (The Pack)
 * Max and Monty
 * Kelly (Music Video Cameo Only)
 * Ned
 * Buster
 * Diesel (Cameo Only)
 * Bill and Ben (Non-Speaking Roles)
 * Mavis (Non-Speaking Role)
 * 'Arry and Bert (Cameos Only)
 * Salty (Non-Speaking Role)
 * Harvey
 * Arthur
 * Diesel 10 (Cameo Only)
 * Molly (Non-Speaking Role)
 * Dennis (Cameo Only)
 * Rosie (Cab Cameo Only)
 * Whiff (Cameo Only)
 * Annie and Clarabel (Non Speaking Roles)
 * Henrietta (Music Video Cameo)
 * Troublesome Trucks (Non Speaking Roles)
 * Rocky (Non-Speaking Role)
 * Terence (Non-Speaking Role)
 * Bertie (Non-Speaking Role)
 * Trevor (Non-Speaking Role)
 * Harold
 * George (Cameo Only)
 * Cranky
 * Elizabeth (Cameo Only)
 * Butch (Cameo Only)
 * Jeremy (Non-Speaking Role)
 * Madge
 * The Refreshment Lady (Cameo Only)
 * Sodor Brass Band (Cameo Only)

Songs

 * Thomas and James are Racing
 * There's a Job for Everyone
 * Where, O' Where is Thomas?
 * Engine Roll Call The Great Discovery
 * Thomas You're The Leader

Trivia

 * The Great Discovery features the returns of Jack, Alfie, Oliver, Max and Monty, Kelly, Ned and Buster (last seen in On Site with Thomas), Terence (last seen in season 7), George (last seen in season 10), Diesel 10 (last seen in Calling All Engines), and Dennis (last seen in season 9).
 * The only Pack Vehicles that didn't appear in The Great Discovery are Isobella, Byron, Patrick and Nelson.
 * The Great Discovery features a lot of stock footage from Season 11.
 * The Great Discovery bears some small similarities to Thomas and the Magic Railroad: A runaway truck, and an engine rolling down the hill.
 * This is the last Thomas & Friends production to only use models for the series.
 * This is the second Thomas & Friends production with a movie rating, the first being Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
 * The Great Discovery features the first high definition appearnces of Bill & Ben (without looking tired or being covered in quarry dust), Molly's teethed smile, Arthur's face up closely, Diesel 10, Dennis, Terence, Trevor up close, Harold up close, and George.

Who Told Who
About Great Waterton:
 * Thomas
 * Madge
 * Mighty Mac
 * Sir Handel
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Mr. Percival
 * Harold
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * The Steam Team
 * Miss Jenny
 * Jack and the Pack

About Thomas Being Found
 * Edward, Henry, Emily and Rocky
 * The Narrow Gauge Engines
 * Terence
 * Harvey
 * Trevor
 * Bill
 * Ben
 * Molly
 * Dennis, Mavis, Diesel, Diesel 10, Arry, Salty and Bert
 * Percy
 * Gordon, Toby and James
 * Arthur
 * Miss Jenny
 * Jack
 * Alfie, Oliver, Max & Monty, Ned and Buster
 * Harold
 * Bertie
 * Lady Hatt
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Cranky