Thomas & Friends™ officially unveils its Trailer for Latest Movie The Great Race and confirms the Full Lineup of 13 New International Engines

- NEW OFFICIAL FILM TRAILER, BEHIND-THE-SCENES AND IMAGES RELEASED TODAY COMES ON THE BACK OF WORLDWIDE MEDIA EXCITEMENT ABOUT NEW CHARACTERS INCLUDING ENGINES FROM INDIA, CHINA, USA, BELGIUM, BRAZIL, FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, RUSSIA, MEXICO, AUSTRALIA & UK

- INCREDIBLE FILM STILLS SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME THE FULL LINEUP OF ENGINES AND ALSO INCLUDES BEHIND-THE-SCENES SHOTS SHOWING HOW THE ENGINES ARE TAKEN FROM CONCEPT THROUGH TO THEIR FINAL ON-SCREEN ANIMATED CHARACTERS

- ‘THE FLYING SCOTSMAN’ IS BACK ON TRACK AS IT’S REVEALED HE IS THE UK’S REPRESENTATIVE IN THE NEW ANIMATED FILM - AND HE’S ALSO BROTHER OF REGULAR CHARACTER GORDON

- STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER ‘ASHIMA OF INDIA’ REVEALED TO BE VOICED BY RENOWNED BOLLYWOOD ACRESS, TINA DESAI

- THE NEW MOVIE WILL ROLL-OUT INTERNATIONALLY TO CINEMAS & TELEVISION SCREENS IN OVER 50 COUNTRIES FROM MAY 2016

For over 70 years Thomas & Friends has been entertaining and exciting children around the world, featuring fun and friendly talking engines from the vibrant island of Sodor. Now, after much media speculation and hype around the new global characters to be included in the new movie Thomas & Friends The Great Race, it has been officially revealed that The Great Race will include a lineup consisting of 13 magnificent new international engines, as shown in the film trailer and stunning new artwork distributed today.

Producers of Thomas’s latest CGI adventure had chosen to remain tight-lipped whilst they finalised the full lineup, despite press reports speculating about some of the international characters believed to be appearing in the new film. Today, marks the official announcement of the characters, with a fully international roll call of engines consisting of: ‘Ashima of India’; ‘Racing Vinnie’; ‘Axel of Belgium’; ‘Raul of Brazil’; ‘Etienne of France’; ‘Gina of Italy’; ‘Frieda of Germany’; ‘Yong Bao of China’; ‘Ivan of Russia’; ‘Carlos of Mexico’; ‘Rajiv of India’; ‘Shane of Australia’ and Britain’s ‘The Flying Scotsman,’ who is the brother of regular character Gordon.

The Great Race is the eleventh animated feature film for the world-famous blue engine, which will hit screens worldwide from May 2016. The new movie sees Thomas in an exciting adventure, where the fun-loving engine pulls out all the stops to find a way to test his mettle against a host of new engines at the Great Railway Show, making some special new friends along the way.

The special has a stellar voice cast that includes Bollywood actress Tina Desai (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) who will bring to life the beautifully painted and talented new engine, Ashima of India. This marks another milestone in the show’s 70-year heritage, as it will be the first time producers have paired Thomas with such a strong female lead character in the animated show.

Tina Desai said "I am delighted to be part of this exciting new film as I'm a huge fan of Thomas! With new characters from around the world, the film has a wonderfully diverse and multi-cultural feel that I hope every child should be able to relate to and be inspired by in some way. My character Ashima really shines through as being strong and adventurous and I am particularly pleased that she will be such a positive role model for so many girls across the globe."

Christopher Keenan, SVP Global Content & Executive Producer at Mattel Creations said “The world of Thomas & Friends continues to expand with the introduction of 13 new engines from around the world in our very first, fully-fledged musical adventure, The Great Race. Showcasing our commitment to quality and innovation, this film will treat our fans to unparalleled production values, sing-along songs and many exciting new characters from countries. We’re incredibly excited to introduce audiences to Thomas's new friends in The Great Race, a story that is our biggest and best yet!"

In The Great Race we see Thomas wishing he could represent Sodor at the Great Railway Show, which is taking place on the mainland. But the bigger engines just laugh at him and say he’s not big, strong or fast enough to compete with the best engines from around the world. Thomas is up against international competition from a host of new engines, including Raul of Brazil, Yong Bao of China, Ivan of Russia and the brightly decorated engine from India, Ashima, among many others. Thomas is determined to find a way to win – even when his plans all go wrong and the devious Diesel threatens his chances to compete. This exciting international musical adventure – where friendship always wins the race – promises to delight children and families across the world.

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 150 territories and in over 40 languages across multiple touch-points and formats, including: 400+ original TV shows; 11 feature-length films; 14 websites in nine languages; apps; toys (ranked number one property in the pre-school toys category in the UK and Australia and number two in the US); consumer products; publishing; live attractions and much more.

Products that will support The Great Race release include brand new Fisher-Price toy lines featuring 11 new engines and exciting playsets based on the tentpole release include the new TrackMaster™ Thomas Sky-High Bridge Jump Set, as well as CP and licensing deals across key categories including clothing, books, puzzles coming to retail in late summer in select markets.

Thomas & Friends™: The Great Race Film Page

THOMAS & FRIENDS™: THE GREAT RACE HITS CINEMAS ON MAY 21

Introducing the international engines:

ASHIMA OF INDIA
Ashima is usually found working on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Southern India, where the steep incline makes the track very dangerous and difficult to climb. So it’s no wonder that a small tank engine like Ashima shows no fear. Beautifully crafted with hand painted decal Ashima’s a fun, feisty and likeable engine who is more than happy to help out wherever needed.

THE FLYING SCOTSMAN
The Flying Scotsman is one of the most famous engines in the world. A large steam locomotive with two tenders, the Flying Scotsman holds the record for being the first engine to officially run at 100 mph. The Flying Scotsman has been travelled to Sodor before where he met with his brother Gordon. Now the brothers will compete against each other to see who is the fastest in the Great Race.

RACING VINNIE
All the way from North America this big engine is not to be messed with. He is big and strong but his competitive nature could be his downfall.

AXEL of BELGIUM
Axel is a smooth streamlined tender engine built for speed; his good looks and style have made him very popular with fans of steam. Effortlessly cool, he’ll be sure to win over more fans at the Great Railway Show.

RAUL OF BRAZIL
This feisty little tank engine may look like a Diesel but he is in fact a steam engine. All the way from the sunny heights of Brazil, this little shunter is strong and agile, making him the perfect candidate for the Shunting race.

ETIENNE of FRANCE
There is no denying that electricity on the railways is the way of the future, and Etienne is a fast electric locomotive, who has been setting world speed records in his home country of France. And now this formidable engine will be looking to continue his run of good fortune in the Great Race.

GINA of ITALY
This little steam loco certainly packs a punch. Sweet and stylish, Gina can match the boys pound for pound when it comes to shunting freight in the yard. All the way from Italy, Gina will be turning a few heads when she appears in The Great Railway Show.

FRIEDA of GERMANY
Frieda is a sleek blue streamlined engine from Germany. Beautiful and strong, Frieda will be entering the Strongest Engine race. She has come to show that anything boys can do, the girls can do better.

YONG BAO of CHINA
Yong Bao is a kind and faithful tender engine from China, who pulls passenger coaches. He may not be the biggest tender engine or the strongest, but he once cleverly diverted an accident saving hundreds of passengers. Yong Bao was decorated for his bravery and painted bright red, which is a colour that symbolises celebration and happiness. Painted on his Tender is a Tiger which incites a sense of awe and admiration. Like Yong Bao, the Tiger is full of life and embodies the spirit of being driven to achieve and make progress. These qualities make Yong Bao a Really Useful Engine.

IVAN of RUSSIA
Ivan of Russia may look mean, but he is one of the most charismatic characters to be found on the railway. He is a real comedian, who will put a smile on everyone’s face. And he’s especially proud of himself as he is the only Diesel locomotive competing in this year’s Great Railway Show.

CARLOS of MEXICO
Carlos is a proud and happy steam engine from the heart of Mexico. Always wearing a smile, this engine is the life and soul of the Great Railway Show. Originally competing and winning the strongest engine race at the very first Great Railway Show, this engine continues to please the crowds and is now taking part in the Best Decorated Engine Parade.

RAJIV of INDIA
Rajiv is a small tank engine from the East Indian Railway, who carries passengers and goods from Calcutta in the east up to the north of India. Set against the backdrop of the Himalayan Mountains, Rajiv’s beautiful colours help him to stand out from the rest, making him the perfect contender for the Best Decorated Engine Parade.

SHANE of AUSTRALIA
Shane is one of the ‘Whispering Giants’ of the South Australian Railway - a big strong steam engine who was built for passenger and mixed freight work. Shane loves to have fun and his carefree ways have made him many friends on his long journey to the Great Railway Show.

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 150 territories and in over 40 languages across multiple touch-points and formats, including: 400+ original TV shows; 11 feature-length films; 14 websites in nine languages; apps; toys (ranked number one property in the pre-school toys category in the UK and Australia and number two in the US); consumer products; publishing; live attractions and much more. Thomas & Friends has scooped prestigious accolades including a Parent’s Choice Award, a Webby and a Licensing Award for Best Classic Licensed Property. The famous and cheeky No.1 blue engine and his friends invite children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train. Together, the children and engines embark on timeless adventures while experiencing valuable yet fun life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation. Thomas & Friends™ is viewable on more than 30 world-class broadcasters including PBS KIDS® in the US, Super RTL in Germany, and on Five’s Milkshake! and Nick Jr. in the UK. Downloadable episodes are available through iTunes and on YouTube.

For more information about the wonderful world of Thomas & Friends, please visit the Official Thomas & Friends Website, Facebook and Twitter @ThomasFriends

About Mattel
The Mattel family of companies (Nasdaq: MAT) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. Mattel’s portfolio of best-selling brands includes Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever produced, Hot Wheels®, Monster High®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends® and Fisher-Price® brands, including Little People® and Power Wheels®, MEGA® Brands, including MEGA BLOKS® and RoseArt®, as well as a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2013, Mattel was named one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere Magazine and in 2014 ranked No. 5 on Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel’s companies employ nearly 30,000 people in 40 countries and territories and sell products in more than 150 nations. At Mattel, we are Creating the Future of Play. Visit Mattel at the Official Website, Facebook and Twitter.