Barney the Dinosaur is known for singing "I love you, you love me"... but not many are loving his new look. It's been awhile since Barney the Dinosaur has delighted children throughout the '90s and early 2000s with his gentle songs and declarations of affection. Now, Mattel is bringing the super-sized purple dinosaur back in a multimedia franchise reboot that will start with a new animated TV show set to premiere later this year and grow to feature toys, apparel and even a feature film.
But the new cartoon Barney looks a lot DIFFERENT from his life-sized predecessor, and the internet has definitely noticed. Since Mattel unveiled the dinosaur's makeover on Monday, February 13, Twitter has been swarmed with horrified millennials coming face-to-face with the updated version of the character they grew up watching on PBS.
Mattel's chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products, Josh Silverman, spoke with Variety, but didn't address the character's extreme makeover, choosing to focus on how the revival will continue to spread "Barney's message of LOVE AND KINDNESS."
"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," Silverman said.
Mattel is hoping that younger audiences will not be too worried about Barney's new appearance. "With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care, and dream big," Fred Soulie, SVP and general manager of Mattel Television, told Variety. "We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too."
Barney is ALL about POSITIVITY and LOVE...so I HOPE we can spread MORE of that when his new show debuts later this year!
Source: Yahoo! Entertainment