Mattel Films is making an "A24-like" live-action Barney movie, and it's being produced by Nope and Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya. However, what might really come as a shock to parents who grew up singing along with Barney and his friends is that this movie is geared toward adults. Daniel Kaluuya has gained a reputation for his horror movies with Jordan Peele, and while he isn't the first name that springs to mind for reimagining a family-friendly franchise traditionally geared toward preschoolers, his partnership with Mattel for the Barney movie could be surefire box-office gold.
However, parents don't need to worry about whether this will be another Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, as this is not going to put a horror spin on the purple dinosaur. Instead, this is just going to be a more adult take on the idea of a giant purple dinosaur befriending children around the world. It sounds like it might be more along the lines of Barbie, where the beloved childhood toy became a movie about finding oneself and a movie that was all about the adults in the audience rather than introducing the former children's icon to a new generation of kids.
The Latest Daniel Kaluuya Barney Movie News
The most recent Barney movie news concerns its rating. Despite being aimed toward adults, Barney will not be a horror movie or a raunchy movie. Barney will also not be R-rated, either. Mattel Films executive Kevin McKeon is working with actor Daniel Kaluuya on the movie, with Kaluuya also serving as a producer. Kaluuya, who starred in movies like Get Out said that they are "here to make art" with the movie. As for McKeon, he said that the movie is going to be toward millennials, people who Barney from when they were kids — for good or bad.
"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."
The Daniel Kaluuya Barney Movie Is Confirmed
News of the Barney movie surfaced around the same time as one of the most anticipated movies of 2023, Barbie. Mattel's big summer 2023 movie Barbie went into active production in 2019 when Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach signed on to write it and Margot Robbie signed on to star in it. Barney movie news from Mattel indicated it also went into pre-production around the same time. It was in 2019 that Daniel Kaluuya signed on to produce Barney, and despite a few years ing since then production is still well underway.
Daniel Kaluuya Barney Movie Release Date
There is no word yet on the Barney movie release date. There is a new animated series from Mattel launching in 2024, so that will likely bring Barney back into the minds of parents and introduce it to some kids for the first time. As for the movie, since production is just now really getting started, don't expect it to arrive in theaters until late 2024, or possibly even 2025.
Daniel Kaluuya Barney Movie Cast
There is no news on the Barney movie cast. Barney was voiced in the TV show by Bob West (1992-2000) and Dean Wendt (2001-2010), but it's unclear if either would return for the movie. There is a good chance that Daniel Kaluuya could appear in the movie in one role or another. When talking about wanting to make this movie, Kaluuya said that he wants to change people's perceptions of him as just a serious actor.
"My last number of films have been so aligned to kind of what I stand for as a man. But there are a whole lot of things that I do as a man. I love kids’ films. How did everyone get into films? Watching kids’ films. I don’t want to restrict myself to the limitations of what I’m perceived as."
Daniel Kaluuya Barney Movie Story Details
There is no word yet on what Daniel Kaluuya's Barney movie story will be about. It won't be part of the Barney television canon, nor will it be connected to other Barney movies, such as Barney's Great Adventure. However, the movie will be what Mattel Films executive Kevin McKeon called a "surrealist" story about the purple dinosaur. The original idea for the movie was that it would follow the TV show's themes and be about "unconditional love" and was "well-timed for our contemporary era." Kaluuya said he wanted to bring these themes from Barney back to a new generation.
"Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood. 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."
