Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya and Mattel’s upcoming big screen adaptation of the beloved purple dinosaur,Barney, will be “for adults” according to the studio. Speaking with theNew Yorker, Mattel Films executive Kevin McKeon offered some insight into what theBarneyis all about, comparing the project to the likes of Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze’sBeing John Malkovich.
“We’re leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids. 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.”
As well as comparisons to the surrealist, meta movies likeBeing John MalkovichandAdaptation, McKeon also called the Barney movie “an A24-type film,” all of which suggests a very different kind of cinematic experience than you would initially think when seeing the word ‘Barney’ appear on the screen.
Barney the Dinosaur has been one of the most recognizable symbols of childhood ever since the seriesBarney & Friendsfirst aired on PBS began in 1992. Aimed at children aged 1 to 5, the show centers on the title character Barney, a big, friendly, purple dinosaur who conveys educational messages through songs and small dance routines with an upbeat, optimistic attitude. It sounds like things will have changed when Barney next graces the screen…
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This is not the first time the more ‘adult’ oriented approach is being taken for theBarneymovie.Get Outstar Daniel Kaluuya, who is attached to theBarneymovie as a producer, hasteased the seemingly dark and thought-provokingnature of the project saying, “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? I thought that was really heartbreaking. I have no idea why but it feels like that makes sense. It feels like there’s something unexpected that can be poignant but optimistic. Especially at this time now, I think that’s really, really needed.”
TheBarneymovie is just one of several projects now in the pipeline for Mattel Films, with the studio turning to the plethora of products at its disposal with the hopes of transforming many of them into movie franchises. So, on the agenda for Mattel is an adaptation ofHe-Man and the Masters of the Universecourtesy of Netflix,a live actionHot Wheelsmovie, aMagic 8 Ballmovie (somehow), and adventures forPolly Pocket,Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, American Girl, and more.
Next up though isBarbie, the meta-approach of which could hint at how Mattel Films and Daniel Kaluuya will bringBarneyto life for angsty millennials. Directed by Greta Gerwig from a screenplay she wrote with Noah Baumbach, and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling,Barbiefinds Robbie’s Barbiebeing expelled from the utopian Barbielandfor being less-than-perfect dolls and heading off into the real-world on a journey of self-discovery.
Barbieis scheduled to be released in the United States on July 21.
