You might rememberBarneyfrom the friendly television series aimed at a very young audience, where a plush toy came to life and turned into a really tall version of himself. ButMattelhas very different plans for the purple dinosaur, according to one executive who works for the company’s film division. During a recent interview withThe New Yorker,Kevin McKeonspoke about what audiences can expect from the upcoming story, which will establish a very different tone for itself than the one seen in previous iterations of the lovely character. Here’s what McKeon had to say aboutBarney:
“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 30-something, growing up with Barney—just the level of disenchantment within the generation. It would be so daring of us, and really underscore that we’re here to make art.”
Darker versions of the children’s stories we grew up with are a rising trend, afterWinnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honeydebuted earlier this year —Rhys Frake-Waterfieldtook some of the iconic characters designed to delight kids with heartwarming stories and dropped them into a horror movie targeted at adults. Though it doesn’t sound like Barney is expected to lean into horror, McKeon said that he pitched the film as an “A24-type.” Added to the surprising tone,Daniel Kaluuyawill be involved with the project as a producer, and it remains to be seen if he’ll eventually join the cast of the film. While there might be plenty of time left beforeBarneymakes his way to the big screen, the fact that the studio already has a tone and producer established for the movie means that the development process is moving forward at a steady pace.
Kaluuya is no stranger to sinister stories, as he played the protagonist of last year’s smash hit,Nope. Directed byJordan Peele, the movie followed Otis Haywood Jr. (Kaluuya) as he tried to save the business his father had established many years prior to the events of the film. As if the difficult market they found themselves in wasn’t hard enough to deal with, Otis and his sister, Emerald (Keke Palmer) would soon realize that a creature from outer space was threatening their town. As the alien consumed every person, animal, and object standing in its way, Otis had to find a way to destroy the monster before it killed him or his sister.
RELATED:Barbie Gets 4-Movie Special DVD Collection Ahead of Live-Action Debut
The Biggest Party of the Summer
Mattel is hard at work developing several other projects based on their famous intellectual property. But before they can focus onHot WheelsorUno, they’ll have to keep a close eye on howBarbieperforms at the box office. StarringMargot Robbieas the titular doll, one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the summer will see Barbie going on a journey of self-discovery, where she and Ken (Ryan Gosling) will travel to the human world in order to find answers to her questions.Barbieopens in theaters on July 21.
