The infamous purple dinosaur is back after Mattel announced the beloved franchise will be relaunched in 2024 with toys, YouTube series, and much more.
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According to a press release from Mattel, Barney will be rebooted with a brand-new animated series that will premiere internationally in 2024. They are creating a clothing and accessory line for adult fans who grew up watching Barney and Friends in the 1990s. The announcement was made five months after Peacock released “I Love You, You Hate Me,” a documentary exploring the “dark side” of Barney the Dinosaur.
In a statement, Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer and Global Head of Consumer Products stated that the company still believes in Barney’s message of love and kindness because it has “stood the test of time.”: ‘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.’
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‘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. 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,’ said Fred Soulie, SVP and General Manager of Mattel Television.
The show, Barney & Friends, was created in 1992 by Sheryl Leach, and its premise revolved around the life of a purple dinosaur and his friends. It continued until 2010 and remained a popular children’s television show but faced mockery due to its content.
Social media reacts to the Barney reboot announcement
Adults familiar with the show said they were annoyed by its songs. Some cast and crew members reportedly received negative backlash for the show and rumors about the dinosaur’s creation during its heyday. After Barney’s new look debuted on social media, fans who grew up with the show had mixed feelings about his image.
I look back and I can’t believe I used to watch Barney. Looking at Barney now kinda creeps me out.
— Robert Truskey Jr. (@rtruskeyjr) February 13, 2023
Nope, that’s not Barney. That’s a Wish version of Spyro dinosaur.
— Mohseen.V (@FuRyZz206) February 13, 2023
…me and the ORIGINAL #Barney lookin’ like… #BarneyReboot we didn’t ask for this. 🙅🏾♂️👏🏾 https://t.co/I98nW0DADn pic.twitter.com/1rD3eZPSEe
— Brandon Lee Bryant (@brandonbryanttv) February 13, 2023
It must be nice to be apart of the creative departments for tv shows and movies.. they just do reboots of actual classics like they really used creativity… just reboots and copycat shows/movies
— Dorothy Zbornak (@itsmissnunu) February 13, 2023
He’s still cute. But there’s really no need to change him!
— moon 🎀 babe (@faithfullymari) February 13, 2023