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Perseus, The Little Trojan is an upcoming fantasy adventure film by Tim O'Hayre. Based on The Railway Series by Wilbert Awdry and the television series Thomas & Friends, the film introduces a new incarnation of the character Percy. The title and style of story take inspiration from Tines Sensahthe's Tobias and The Sentinels trilogy.
The film is expected to premiere on YouTube between late 2025 and early 2026. There is also a possibility it will see a theatrical release. Two sequels are also in development.
Synopsis[]
Perseus, better known as Percy, was a small little tank engine who spent his entire early life in the Avonside workshop in Bristol where he was built. As time passes, the workshop becomes more and more crowded with new engines, making Percy fear the worst. Then, he got the chance of a lifetime when he was bought by a visiting stout gentleman, who takes him to his railway on the Island of Sodor. Although he is happy to finally get his life started and is eager to work hard and explore, even making fast friends with fellow tank engine Thomas, Percy starts having strange visions of both his past and future, making him secretly doubt himself and the world around him. His mentor, Edward, worries for him and seeks to help him solve this mystery.
Meanwhile, the bigger engines, Henry, Gordon, and James, are equally suspicious of Percy's background, but in their own way. Henry seems to resent him the most when he gets a bad first impression of the little tank engine. Things get worse when Henry gets into a terrible accident and is sent to be repaired at Crewe, where he discovers a shocking detail or two of Percy's past. Through revelations and self-discovery, Percy will brave a grand adventure in hopes of uncovering the secrets of his life and those of his newfound friends, all the while finding his place in the world as a really useful engine and a beautiful soul.
Plot[]
At the turn of the 20th century, the Avonside Engine Company in Bristol, England introduces one of its newest steam locomotives, the Avonside SS Class 0-4-0ST saddle tank engine of the Great Western Railway. Not all of the prototypes are as successful as the designers had hoped, but one of them, built around the very beginning of the new century in 1900, shows the most potential of them all. Initially referred to by his number, 1340, one of the workers gives him the name Perseus due in part to his fascination in Greek mythology, but also because it seemed fitting with the engine class nickname "Trojan" representing the strength and might of the locomotives. From his first day of life, Perseus presents a bubbling personality and a huge sense of eagerness to make use of his talents, and so he does, impressing the workers and railway executives alike very much. But when they try to sell him off to a railway for a proper working life, potential buyers are quick to decline because of his "unusualness," much to everyone's confusion.
Three decades later, in the 1930s, Perseus is still at the workshop. Despite maintaining his positive attitude and free-spirited nature for years, he fears that he will never get to leave the workshop under the pretention that no one wants him. However, his doubts are contradicted when, one day in 1934, a visitor comes to the workshop: A well-dressed stout gentleman with a dashing top hat who is looking to purchase a new engine. At last, the man discovers Perseus in a corner of the shop. He introduces himself as Sir Topham Hatt, a veteran railway man and controller of the North Western Railway on an island called Sodor and explains that he is looking for a special engine to help him on his railway due to some recent hardships. When Sir Topham Hatt offers to buy him, Perseus becomes overjoyed and happily accepts the offer but is hesitant when asked his name; secretly, he never liked the name Perseus all that well, and couldn't explain exactly why. So, Perseus says that he doesn't have a name, and Sir Topham Hatt comes up with one: Percy. Finding more pleasure in that name, Percy takes it and elaborates on his acceptance on Sir Topham Hatt's offer, much to the latter's joy, and the arrangements are soon made.
A short time later, Percy is brought to Sodor, where he meets the other engines. He is first introduced to Edward and Thomas, the former being one of Sir Topham Hatt's oldest engines, the latter being a branch line engine who previously worked as the pilot at Knapford Station, and both of them being two of the North Western's first engines running the line. While Edward starts to teach him the basics of shunting in the yard, Percy also meets the three big engines, Henry and James, who both run mixed-traffic services, and Gordon, the main line express engine who most often pulls the Wild Nor' Wester from Knapford to Barrow-in-Furness. The three had been shut up in the shed for several days for going on strike over having to shunt their own trains since Thomas was awarded with his branchline at Ffarquhar after helping James recover from his accident.
The big engines have their doubts about Percy. Gordon and James don't believe he is capable of helping them with their work (with Gordon being vocally boastful and pompous about it). Henry, on the other hand, has a different kind of suspicion towards Percy, but isn't sure quite what it is. For a breif moment, Henry sneaks out of the sheds to get a better look at him and try and get to know him better. But when Percy sees Henry up close, a random instinct kicks in, and he aggressively sprays him with steam, leaving a burning feeling on Henry's face. Edward, James and Gordon have a laugh, finding humor in Percy's wheeshing, but Henry now feels threatened by the small tank engine and starts to secretly resent him.
Eventually, the big engines own up to their stubbornness and Sir Topham Hatt subsequently allows them to return to work. Gordon and James gradually make good friends with Percy, but Henry still feels bitter about his first impression of him. Sometimes, however, Henry finds it difficult to express how he feels due to his steaming issues. Percy feels bad for Henry about this and decides to help by pitching an idea to Sir Topham Hatt, that Henry should try using Welsh coal for his smaller firebox. Despite the expenses, Sir Topham Hatt goes through with the plan, since it is the best chance Henry can get. The Welsh coal comes and proves to be successful for Henry, who is thankful for Percy's help, but he still has doubtful thoughts about him.
One cold winter evening in January of 1935, Henry is tasked with pulling the Flying Kipper, a fish train running to the mainland in the early morning. Percy, wanting a chance to help with the big responsibility, offers to provide any possible assistance. Henry is reluctant at first, but ultimately accepts Percy's help, for he feels nervous about managing in the frigid conditions alone. At the harbor, the two shunt the train together, getting it ready in good time before departure. Before it is time to leave, the manager warns Henry about the icy rails. Percy also acknowledges this before the two set off. They eventually reach Gordon's hill, where Henry begins to struggle. Henry begins straining, so Percy pushes as hard as he can to ease the strain, and the two engines eventually get the train to the top, where Percy is uncoupled to let Henry take the train the rest of the way, but not before Henry kindly thanks Percy for helping.
Unbeknownst to Henry and his crew, the points had been left switched to a goods siding, seemingly due to being frozen over, and the home signal shows all clear when it should have been set at danger. By the time Henry discovers what is happening, it is too late; he ends up crashing into the back of a parked goods train and ends up in a huge wreck. His driver and fireman barely survive, escaping with serious injuries. The next morning, as the scene of the accident is being cleaned up, Sir Topham Hatt comforts Henry and tells him that he will be sent to Crewe in Cheshire to be repaired. Henry feels relieved when he learns that the special facility will give him an overhaul that will eliminate his need for Welsh coal and overall improve his life.
Henry arrives at Crewe later that afternoon and is placed in the area where his overhaul will eventually begin. As he waits, he takes in his surroundings and notices some peculiar things about the works. He then asks the workers about some of Crewe's previous history. To Henry's surprise, they tell him that there have been reports of an engine with a very similar description to Percy being worked on in Cheshire. As work on his overhaul begins, Henry plans to ask Percy about his discoveries when he returns.
Months later, Henry arrives back on Sodor, rebuilt as a stunning LMS Black Five. Everyone is excited to see him again, even Percy, who had been working harder than ever in Henry's absence. Henry shows much more kindness towards Percy than he had before and even agrees to work with him every now and then. However, when he asks Percy about what he had heard at Crewe, Percy has a mental breakdown. When he regains his composure, Percy makes some major revelations via a flashback sequence, starting with the fact that he was originally built in 1897, though still by Avonside. Known by his number, but also the aforementioned nickname Perseus, he had been built for the Messrs Dunn & Shute of Newport Town Dock in Wales and had spent his early years as a dockyard shunter there. Everything was going well, until one day in 1899 when he had an accident with a fish train he was shunting, whereas he was pushed by the trucks into the sea.
Percy says that, as soon as he plunged into the bay, he had blacked out upon touching the lowest point of the water and woke up back in the Avonside workshop a year later in 1900, having no memories of his past. Now, after hearing Henry's discovery, said memories have been restored to Percy's mind, much to his own dismay. Henry, now feeling bad for thinking so negatively about Percy, offers to help him solve the mysteries of his past. Reluctantly, Percy accepts Henry's help, making their friendship a little bit stronger.
Meanwhile, Edward, who had listened in to Henry and Percy's conversation, relays the information to Sir Topham Hatt, who becomes worried about hearing the news. He thanks Edward for telling him but orders him not to tell anyone else about the matter until further notice. This makes Edward feel uneasy, wondering how much Sir Topham Hatt actually knows about Percy's past.
Cast[]
- Daniel Irwin as Perseus / Percy
- Jamie Ringwood as Edward
- Zundapp as Henry
- Richard J. Browning as Gordon
- Kyle Dennison (Trampy) as:
- James
- Trucks
- Thomas' driver
- Winwatch98 as Thomas
- Michelle Hurtado as Annie and Clarabel
- Nic Goodrich (The Unlucky Tug) as Sir Topham Hatt / The Fat Controller
- TBD as Percy's driver
- David Cothliff-Gotts (dcg12b) as Murphy and Clydon
- Tom Marshall as the Narrator
Production[]
Development[]
O'Hayre first came up with the story of the film in January of 2025, having seen Arcane Merchant and rewatched Half-Pariah.
Writing[]
O'Hayre started writing the script on January 2, 2025.
Casting[]
Design[]
Filming and animation[]
Cinematography[]
Soundtrack[]
- Main article: Perseus, The Little Trojan/Soundtrack
Release[]
At its current rate, with O'Hayre having started writing the script in January 2025, it is predicted that the film will possibly release later in the year, or next year in 2026. Other factors are to be considered, such as fellow Thomas Fandom members who are willing to help out with the project.
Reception[]
Home media[]
Sequels[]
In February 2025, while still working on the first Perseus film, O'Hayre also started work on a potential sequel, Perseus and Tobin. In April, he came up with the idea of a third film to form the series as a trilogy, titled Perseus and The Great Westerners.
Quotes[]
Trivia[]
- Main article: Perseus, The Little Trojan/Trivia