Aardman Animations, owners of the Wallace & Gromit and other animation properties, has signed with HIT Entertainment to manage its North American licensing and DVD rights.  HIT, which manages mega-properties Thomas the Tank Engine and Barney, may help Aardman develop a better product flow to exploit its properties, which have a devoted audience. 

Earlier this year, Aardman signed with Sony for future features (see 'Aardman Teams with Sony') to follow up its Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit feature, and the less successful Flushed Away.