Discussions with the lending syndicate, which was originally led by Deutsche Bank and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, are understood to have been ongoing for the past few weeks. Other brands within HIT including Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina and Barney the Dinosaur are not considered nearly as valuable as Thomas, which is considered to have timeless appeal. Sources close to the situation claim Disney is interested in making an approach to acquire Thomas, which reports have said is already being lined up for a feature film release in 2011.