'Barney' Series Officially a Go
The friendly big purple dinosaur Barney is back. Four months after Mattel announced plans to relaunch the Barney franchise, the first series, Barney's World, has a home. The CG-animated series will debut on Cartoon Network's Cartoonito block for preschoolers and will stream on Warner Bros. Discovery's Max. Episodes will be released globally in 2024.
Barney's World is described as a "modernized" revamp with the classic character and his friends, Billy and Baby Bop. The show will feature "dynamic characters and music-filled storylines that highlight themes of love, community, and encouragement," according to the show's logline. The dinosaurs will have fun with three kid best friends in a local playground, where they will go on "silly and imaginative adventures" together. Barney will help children "explore big preschool emotions and shows them how to love themselves and others."
The series will be produced by Mattel Television and Corus Entertainment's Nelvana. The executive producers are Fred Soulie and Christopher Keenan for Mattel Television and Colin Bohm, Doug Murphy, and Pam Westman for Nelvana.
"Having grown up watching the original series, many of today's parents have fond memories of laughing, singing, and learning with Barney and his friends," Fred Soulie, senior vice president and general manager of Mattel Television, said in a statement Tuesday. "We are proud to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery to reimagine this famed brand and bring a fresh and modern version of Barney to a global audience of families."
"Barney's World perfectly exemplifies our 'best in animation' approach," Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Family, and Boomerang, added. "It strikes the right nostalgia chord for today's parents and introduces this iconic dinosaur to a new generation of preschoolers."
Mattel announced plans to relaunch the Barney franchise for a new generation in February. The initiative will include television, movies, and YouTube videos, as well as plenty of merchandise for millennials who grew up watching Barney & Friends. Mattel also released a still of the animated Barney.
Sheryl Leach created Barney & Friends as a new program for preschoolers. Mattel previously attempted to revive Barney in 2015 when it announced a collaboration with 9 Story Media Group. The company also had plans to make a live-action Barney movie in 2019, with actor Daniel Kaluuya's production company involved. However, neither of these projects was completed. This means Barney's World will be the first new Barney project since Barney & Friends ended production in 2010.