Thunderbirds is a 2004 science fiction-adventure film based upon the television series of the same name of the 1960s, directed by Jonathan Frakes. The film, written by William Osborne and Michael McCullers, was released on July 24, 2004 in the United Kingdom and July 30, 2004 in the United States, with later dates for others. The film uses live-action actors playing the Tracy brothers rather than the Supermarionation marionettes used in the television series.