Daniel Kaluuya’s Barney Movie Will Lean Into ‘Millennial Angst’

Inspired by Barbie, the new Barney movie will speak to an adult audience. The Mattel project is set to be an “A24-style” film starring Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya, who will also produce, and has Beef creator Lee Sung Jin set to write the screenplay. Executive producer Kevin McKeon said in an interview with The New Yorker that this film will be for those who are “thirtysomething” and grew up watching the purple dinosaur sing and dance like it wasn’t actually one big fever dream.

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

The film is apparently still in development according to Kaluuya, who has been attached to the project for over three years. He told Yahoo! UK that this was due to the “high standards” that he sets for himself both as an actor and a producer.

According to The Guardian, when the Barney movie was first announced back in 2019, Kaluuya said, “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.”

Robert Brenner, who is part of Mattel Films, explained, “Working with Daniel Kaluuya will enable us to take a completely new approach to Barney that will surprise audiences and subvert expectations. The project will speak to the nostalgia of the brand in a way that will resonate with adults, while entertaining today’s kids.”

Barney seems to be getting a sort of renaissance: Peacock released the documentary I Love You, You Hate Me last year, and the character will star in a reboot of the ’90s PBS hit series Barney & Friends, which is set to premiere in 2024.

This is also another step away from Mattel preserving its image as making products “only” for children, what with the release of the PG-13 Barbie movie on July 21 and now the Barney film. We think this childhood reminiscing is kind of iconic and hope it only gets wackier.

(featured image: James Keyser, Getty Images)