9, the much-hyped animated feature from director Shane Acker, was considered a disappointment after the epic marketing campaign from Focus Features and the involvement of Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov, but it still contained slick visuals and a few exciting set pieces. While he’s been quite since that 2009 film, we now have word on his next ventures. Deadline reports he has signed on to direct a live-action Thomas the Tank Engine for HIT Entertainment.
The film, set in the place where trains talk, Sodor, will also have work done by WETA and Mattel. Scripted by Chris Viscardi and Will McRobb of Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Josh Klausner who wrote Shrek the Third, the film will follow “a pre-teen boy who has drifted apart from his father. The son is introduced into this world of Sodor, a place his father visited as a child but can’t remember.” Acker, who will “broaden the movie’s audience beyond pre-schoolers” says it is built on “a bonding experience.”
For someone who, rightfully, has zero interest in the property, Acker’s pitch certainly piques my interest. Creating a world around a franchise seems to be more than a lot of studios do nowadays, when it comes easily lucrative properties.
When he isn’t creating family fare, Acker is also continuing his trend of dark projects. Twitch reports on a new short apocalyptic film he made called Plus Minus. It follows “demonic forces of art and commerce who fight for territory in a post apocalyptic inferno, while diminutive minions keep the ball rolling below…” Check out the teaser below.