Mattel talks 'King' and more with Hollywood Reporter

Mattel's vice president has lent an interview to The Hollywood Reporter about Thomas in an exclusive article.

In the build-up to King of the Railway's US cinema and home video releases, the Vice President of Hit Entertainment for America, Sid Mathur spoke to the corporation about how the movie and its predecessors appeal to audiences.

We pick an attribute [to feature] every single year and try to weave a story around it, which kind of delivers the lesson in a meaningful and entertaining way. That is how we try to differentiate it from the daily and weekly content.

They can interact and meet with all the characters from the brand and have a full day out with them, that's what completes the picture for me.

It’s not just about dealing with the traditional and new mediums of communicating, but also trying to bring your brand to life.

An app based on the film, which will be available to Apple devices, will use elements introduced on the film's minisite. A push in retail and food outlets are to follow from Mattel, increasing the brand's reach to the public.

Mathur went on to explain why the show itself should not deviate from its core of learning abilities; You’re trying to give kids life lessons about socio-emotional upbringing in an entertaining way.

You can’t move away from those roots and say, OK, these are no longer important, because the moment you do it you lose the prime DNA.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER