Mattel has announced the big purple guy is back and set to share his message with a new generation; all-new animated series ‘Barney’s World’ is coming to Max later this year.
Barney’s back! Mattel has announced the relaunch of the Barney franchise with a brand-new animated series, Barney’s World, starring the ubiquitous purple dinosaur and his friends. It introduces new audiences to the world of Barney through music-filled adventures centered on love, community, and encouragement.
To kick things off, on this very special day of love (aka Valentine’s Day), the big fella has a message about…Love, marking Barney’s first one-on-one conversation with the public since the last episode of Barney and Friends aired in 2010:
In addition to the new animated series, Mattel’s Barney relaunch will include a live-action feature film developed in partnership with Daniel Kaluuya and a range of kids’ products, including toys, books, and clothing.
The series is co-produced by Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Mattel Television; it debuts globally on Max later this year. Fred Soulie and Christopher Keenan executive produce for Mattel Television, and Colin Bohm, Doug Murphy, and Pam Westman for Nelvana.
“Barney’s message of love and kindness has stood the test of time,” said Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer and global head of Consumer Products at Mattel. “We will tap into the nostalgia of the generations who grew up with Barney, now parents themselves, and introduce the iconic purple dinosaur to a new generation of kids and families around the world across content, products, and experiences.”
“In creating the new series, it was important to us that we properly reflect the world that kids today live in so that the series can deliver meaningful lessons about navigating it,” said Soulie. “With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care, and dream big. We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too.”
Source: Mattel
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
