- "Who knows, maybe millennium from now, new life forms will bare witness to the enduring appeal of this little engine and his friends."
- ― The Narrator
The Thomas & Friends Institute of Innovation is a film produced by Studio Hansa between 2013 and 2014. It was created to promote Thomas & Friends to commissioners and merchandising partners worldwide. The film has not been released to the general public and is likely to remain confidential, although brands can arrange for private viewings.
Plot
The film features two scientists in the Thomas & Friends Institute of Innovation laboratory experimenting with 'improvements to Thomas the Tank Engine'. These experiments include Thomas being tested with bird-like wings, Percy being injected with Botox, and Sir Topham Hatt using steroids. The film ends by stating that Thomas has the potential to outlast humanity, showing Thomas alongside a cockroach as one of the longest-surviving remnants from the human era, being interacted with by aliens in a post-apocalyptic future Earth.
Characters
- Thomas
- Percy
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Scientist 1
- Scientist 2
Cast
- Paul Freeman as the narrator
Trivia
- The film mixes live action with CGI.
- A rendition of the original Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends theme is used, which was previously featured in the sixteenth series, Percy and the Calliope. Music from Not So Slow Coaches is also used.
Goofs
- When the alien moves Thomas, his wheels either do not move at the same speed or sometimes stop moving all together.