2 months ago
With Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s “Barbie” gearing up for container agency domination this month, nan movie is being eyed arsenic a launching pad for Mattel Films. The workplace has dozens of much films successful nan pipeline based connected its toys and celebrated IP, including a Barney movie pinch Daniel Kaluuya. The “Get Out” Oscar nominee and “Us” prima first attached himself to Mattel’s Barney movie successful 2019, and a caller floor plan of Mattel Films published by The New Yorker confirms nan task remains successful development.
Mattel Films executive Kevin McKeon told The New Yorker that nan Barney movie is “surrealistic” and successful nan vein of films directed by Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze. Those board are astir apt not nan first 2 filmmakers 1 thinks of erstwhile nan family-friendly Barney sanction comes up.
“We’re leaning into nan millennial angst of nan spot alternatively than fine-tuning this for kids,” McKeon said. “It’s really a play for adults. Not that it’s R-rated, but it’ll attraction connected immoderate of nan tests and tribulations of being thirty-something, increasing up pinch Barney—just nan level of disenchantment wrong nan generation.”
McKeon besides described nan Barney movie arsenic an “A24-type” movie, adding, “It would beryllium truthful daring of us, and really underscore that we’re present to make art.”
When nan task first sewage announced successful November 2019, Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner said that moving pinch Kaluuya would let nan workplace “to return a wholly caller attack to ‘Barney’ that will astonishment audiences and subvert expectations.”
“Barney was a ubiquitous fig successful galore of our childhoods, past he vanished into nan shadows, near misunderstood,” Kaluuya added astatine nan time. “We’re excited to research this compelling modern-day leader and spot if his connection of ‘I emotion you, you emotion me’ tin guidelines nan trial of time.”
Updates connected nan task person been scarce successful nan years since. Kaluuya told Yahoo Entertainment earlier this twelvemonth it was taking clip to ace nan cleanable script.
“The script’s gotta beryllium good, you cognize what I mean? It’s successful development,” Kaluuya said. “I inquire for precocious standards connected thing that I activity on, and I’m producing this one, truthful it’s still successful development.”
Visit The New Yorker’s website to publication much astir Mattel Films and its upcoming improvement slate.
