With Greta Gerwig‘s unconventional Barbie film on the horizon, there’s been talk about other Mattel-related films in development.
Barney, a film based on the kid-friendly purple dinosaur, has had Daniel Kaluuya attached to star since 2019. But recent comments from Mattel executive Kevin McKeon imply that the film will be far different from its origins.
In an interview with the New Yorker, McKeon said that the forthcoming Barney film will be a adult-oriented “A24-type” film, and “surrealistic” in the vein of the films of Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze. He added:
“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.”
Taking the story of the talking purple dinosaur in this direction underscores that Mattel is “here to make art,” McKeon said.
It’s certainly interesting to frame a film about a talking dinosaur as a commentary on the disenchantment of millennials, and it remains to be seen how strong these themes actually are in the film. But at the same time, the audience most familiar with Barney will be people that age. Kids today likely don’t know who he is. So maybe McKeon is on to something.
We may get more of a sense of what other Mattel films will look like following the release of Barbie, which arrives in cinemas on Friday, July 21.
Other Mattel films in development include Hot Wheels, Masters of the Universe, Magic 8 Ball, Uno, and Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.
#Peace.Love.Barney
