Shane Acker to direct 'Thomas the Tank Engine'

Plans to bring Thomas the Tank Engine to the big screen are still in full swing, and HIT Entertainment is bringing Shane Acker on board to direct the family adventure, according to Deadline. Acker most recently directed the mediocre animated flick "9."

The movie, which will be a live-action version, is primarily set in Sodor, land of talking trains. Acker said, "The tale will revolve around 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."