While an upcoming big-screen movie starring the purple dinosaur Barney might not exactly come to mind when thinking of heavy movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once or Uncut Gems, that’s apparently what its producers are going for.
The in-development movie, to which Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya is attached, will lean “into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids,” executive producer Kevin McKeon tells the New Yorker, comparing it to something that might come from the aforementioned films’ independent studio, A24.
He says of the Mattel co-production, “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.”
McKeon says the “surreal” project shows toy company Mattel “is here to make art.”
Incidentally, the angsty angle is also a through line in another Mattel movie co-production, Greta Gerwig‘s upcoming Barbie, the trailer for which trumpeted, “If you love Barbie this movie is for you. If you hate Barbie this movie is for you.”
Barney and Friends, which debuted in 1992 — and incidentally at one point starred a very young Selena Gomez — certainly has enough people in both of those camps.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Related Posts
Dabney Coleman, ‘9 to 5’ and ‘Tootsie’ star, dead at 92
May 17, 2024
CBS via Getty ImagesDabney Coleman, best known for his role as the sexist boss of Dolly Parton,…
Music notes: Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and more
May 17, 2024
Olivia Rodrigo's debut album, SOUR, just hit a major milestone. It's now the all-time…
Hear Miley Cyrus sing Talking Heads, Demi Lovato sing The Temptations
May 17, 2024
A24Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato are two artists who can pretty much sing anything, and they both…
Laura Dern, Margaret Qualley to star in series adaptation of ‘Forever, Interrupted’
May 17, 2024
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesLaura Dern and Margaret Qualley are…
‘Young Sheldon’ goes out with a big bang: series finale hits four-year audience high
May 17, 2024
Robert Voets/2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.It’s no theory – Young Sheldon went out with a big…
New Music Friday: Bebe Rexha, Dinah Jane, NKOTB and more
May 17, 2024
Bebe Rexha is back with a new single, "Chase It (Mmm Da Da Da)," which also has a video to go with…
Report: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce stayed in $21,000 per night Italian villa
May 17, 2024
Kevin Mazur/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights ManagementTaylor Swift had a few days off before her…