Mattel’s follow-up to the 2023 summer hit Barbie is trading in pink for purple. A24’s upcoming Barney the Dinosaur film will not only offer a grownup take on the popular children’s show, queer Bottoms and The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri is writing the script and in talks to star.
According to Deadline, the Barney movie is one of several Mattel properties being adapted into films following the success of Barbie. Like its predecessor, the film—which is produced by Mattel Films, A24 and 59% Productions—is aiming beyond simple nostalgia, looking at the characters through the lens of adulthood.
Related
Zendaya is playing Shrek and Fiona’s teenage daughter, and her appearance has queer folks wondering something.
The upcoming film is based on the children’s character first introduced in 1988’s direct-to-video series Barney & the Backyard Gang. Following the 1992 PBS premiere of Barney & Friends, the series proved so popular that it ran for 14 seasons up until 2010, becoming a standard presence in the childhoods of many millennial viewers.
Culture, unfiltered
Our newsletter will bring you the pulse of queer culture, from the tastemakers to the groundbreakers.
The upcoming film is looking to tap into those millennial associations to make a “children’s” film for the thirtysomething crowd that grew up watching it. Mattel exec Kevin McKeon explained in a 2023 New Yorker interview that the film would be “surrealistic,” citing influences like Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze.
“We’re leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids,” McKeon 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 thirtysomething, growing up with Barney—just the level of disenchantment within the generation.”
In another interview, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz agreed that the film would be “taking a fresh approach” while keeping the character “fun, entertaining and culturally oriented.” At the same time, he seemed to contradict McKeon’s description, saying that it “will not be an odd movie.”
Even if the film is taking radically divergent approaches, it’s in more than good hands with Edebiri. Although she is most recognizable for her onscreen work, Edebiri is no stranger to the writer’s desk, especially when it comes to offbeat comedy. She’s written episodes for Big Mouth, Dickinson, The Eric Andre Show, and even scored a Writer’s Guild of America nomination for writing the What We Do in the Shadows episode “Private School.”
As the untitled Barney adaptation is still in early development, Mattel has yet to confirm a release window.
Sign up for the INTO newsletter and get your twice-weekly dose of stories that shape the queer experience, culture, and lifestyle.
