Hot on the heels of the euphoria surrounding the upcoming Barbie movie, Mattel has been keen to share some information about one of its other major franchises that is coming to the big screen.
The toy company revealed on Sunday that the upcoming Barney film, about everyone's favorite singing purple dinosaur, will be more geared towards adults than children.
Mattel Films executive Kevin McKeon told the New Yorker recently that the movie will be more "surrealistic".
"We’re leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids," McKeon, 38, said. "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 30-something, growing up with Barney — just the level of disenchantment within the generation."
The film, which will star Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya, is being hyped as an "A24-type" film by McKeon.
"It would be so daring of us, and really underscore that we’re here to make art," McKeon added, while Kaluuya himself has expressed his excitement regarding the project.
"Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood. We’re excited to explore this compelling modern-day hero and see if his message of 'I love you, you love me' can stand the test of time."
The Judas and The Black Messiah star, 34, is also producing the film, which has been relatively under wraps since being announced in 2019.
He explained: "The scripts gotta be good, you know what I mean? It’s in development. I ask for high standards on anything that I work on, and I’m producing this one, so it’s still in development."
Despite the mystery surrounding Barney's plot, the television series itself is expected to be getting a complete overhaul, as announced by Mattel back in February of this year. The new and updated Barney is being earmarked for a 2024 return.
"Barney’s message of love and kindness has stood the test of time," said Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products at Mattel. "We will tap into the nostalgia of the generations who grew up with Barney, now parents themselves, and introduce the iconic purple dinosaur to a new generation of kids and families around the world across content, products, and experiences."
Barney's original series came to an end in 2010. Yet, with the enormous anticipation surrounding the release of Barbie, Mattel is gearing up for more iconic franchise overhauls, with the Margot Robbie-fronted franchise just the beginning of what could be the next Marvel-esque juggernaut of movies.
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