Daniel Kaluuya-Starring 'Barney' Will Reportedly Be 'A24-Type' Movie Geared Towards Adults

“We’re leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids,” an executive for Mattel Films said.

July 5, 2023

Ahead of the release of Gerta Gerwig's forthcoming Barbie film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, Mattel Films, the new studio behind the movie, is sharing more details about its forthcoming project centered around Barney the Dinosaur.

Back in 2019, Mattel Inc. and production companies Valparaiso Pictures announced the development of a live-action movie based on Barney & Friends main character Barney, which will star Daniel Kaluyya.

"Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood," Kaluuya said in a press release at the time. "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."

In a new interview with the New Yorker, Kevin McKeon, a Mattel executive who works in tandem with former Miramax exec Robbie Brenner, shed light on the Barney film, which McKeon says will be an adult-focused take on the former kid-loving dinosaur.

“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 30-something, growing up with Barney—just the level of disenchantment within the generation.”

McKeon added that the Barney project will be an "A24 type" film, saying, “It would be so daring of us, and really underscore that we’re here to make art.”