TELEVISION
Barney’s new look leaves many alarmed
The children’s TV character got a new look for Mattel’s upcoming reboot of the franchise.
Mattel is rebooting the ‘Barney & Friends’ franchise with an upcoming 2024 series. To celebrate the reboot, they recently shared a look at the updated redesign of the purple dinosaur.
The character’s new design features big green eyes, a bigger smile, and a more vibrant shade of purple for the dinosaur’s skin.
But users on Twitter weren’t as impressed with the new look as Mattel might have hoped.
“Thank you, Mattel for giving me nightmares with this horrifying-looking Barney,” one user quipped. “Worst part of new barney’s design is that his eyes are fully open. Barney needs his friendly sleepy eyes,” wrote another.
Someone user joked, “Mattel yassified Barney,” and many others used the hashtag “#notmybarney” in protest of the new look.
Not the first time Barney has looked different
The new series will be animated in CGI, with Mattel and Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana working together to create the series.
The original series had David Joyner physically acting out the dinosaur in a purple dinosaur costume until the role was taken over by Carey Stinson in 2001.
The new design isn’t the first time the dinosaur has looked different. In the late 1980s series ‘Barney and the Backyard Gang,’ Barney was a dark purple, compared to his well-known violet-hued appearance in the 1990s and early 2000s.
What the new Barney series has in store
In anticipation of the new series, Mattel says they are planning on releasing a “full range of kids’ products including toys, books, clothing, and more,” including clothes and accessories for adult fans who grew up with ‘Barney and Friends.’
“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 Fred Soulie, SVP and General Manager of Mattel Television.
“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.”