Ahead of Greta Gerwig's Barbie, Mattel says Daniel Kaluuya's Barney movie is the next IP adaption with a different spin.
"We’re leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids," Mattel Films executive Kevin McKeon told the New Yorker, saying that the film has been sold to prospective partners and studios as an 'A24-type film.' “It’s really a play for adults. Not that it’s R-rated, but it’ll focus on some of the trials and tribulations of being thirtysomething, growing up with Barney – just the level of disenchantment within the generation.”
Barney & Friends premiered on PBS in 1992, featuring an anthropomorphic purple dinosaur who encourages children to share, hug, and be kind. At the end of every episode, Barney transforms back into a dinosaur plush toy (and, according to my parents, I cried every single time). David Joyner and Carey Stinson donned the purple suit while Bob West and Dean Wendt provided the voice.
Continued McKeon: "It would be so daring of us, and really underscore that we’re here to make art."
Not much is known about Kaluuya's Barney movie, though the actor did refer to it as "poignant but optimistic" back in 2020. "Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood," he added.
Kaluuya's production company 59% will produce, with the actor set to star. "Barney taught us, ‘I love you, you love me. Won’t you say you love me too?’ That’s one of the first songs I remember, and what happens when that isn’t true?” he continued. That being said, we can definitely expect a nostalgia-soaked, somewhat heart-wrenching take on the beloved purple dinosaur.
Mattel has around 45 toy-centered movies in the works, from Hot Wheels to He-Man: Masters of the Universe.
For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond.
