Mattel CEO Promises "Barney" Won't Be An "Odd Movie"

Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz says the upcoming Barney film won't be an "odd movie." The clarification comes after Mattel Films executive Kevin McKeon revealed that Barney would be “surrealistic” and lean into adults “millennial angst.”

Speaking with Semafor for an interview on Saturday, Kreiz explained: “It’s too early to be specific, but I can tell you we are taking a fresh approach that will be fun, entertaining and culturally oriented. It will not be an odd movie.” The film is just one of several adaptations the company is working on, including American Girl Doll and Hot Wheels.

Daniel Kaluuya At The Academy Awards

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 25: Daniel Kaluuya attends the 93rd Annual Academy Awards at Union Station on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Pizzello-Pool/Getty Images)

As for McKeon's previous comments, he had been speaking about the film with The New Yorker in June. “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,” he said at the time. He also described it as an “A24-type” movie. The film will star Daniel Kaluuya. “Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood,” Kaluuya said when it was announced in November 2019. “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.” Earlier this year, he added to Yahoo Entertainment: “The script’s gotta be good, you know what I mean? It’s in development. I ask for high standards on anything that I work on, and I’m producing this one, so it’s still in development.”

The Barney film will arrive after Mattel Films found massive success with Barbie, earlier this year. The film crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide at the box office on August 6, 2023. The feat made it the first film by a solo female director to do so. Be on the lookout for further updates on Barney on HotNewHipHop.

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