The upcoming film will focus on “millennial angst” and will be “surrealistic,” according to a recent interview with a Mattel Films executive.
Daniel Kaluuya’s Barney film is on its way, with more production details emerging from the latest interview in the New Yorker.
As theGrio previously reported, the upcoming project based on the beloved purple dinosaur was first announced back in 2019, with the actor not only set to star in the project but produce it as well. In a recent interview with The New Yorker, Mattel Films exec Kevin McKeon shared new details regarding the tone of the film, which he described as “surrealistic” and an “A24-type” film while comparing it to the works of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman, per Deadline.
Saying that it will focus on “millennial angst” as opposed to gearing it toward children, he told the outlet, “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 movie joins several film projects in development or released centered on Mattel entities, including this summer’s “Barbie” from filmmaker Greta Gerwig. As theGrio previously reported, that film also seems to be for a more mature audience who grew up with the central character, with the main Barbie (Margot Robbie) experiencing a “full-on existential crisis” per the synopsis.
Kaluuya opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about the Barney film back in 2020, theGrio reported at the time. The Academy Award winner told the outlet then that “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.”
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