We didn’t see this coming.
Mattel’s purple, perpetually optimistic dinosaur Barney is getting a live-action movie. “Black Panther” and “Get Out” star Daniel Kaluuya is producing the project for Mattel films with his production company 59%, and he’s seriously into the character who has enthralled children, and annoyed adults, since it premiered on PBS in 1992.
The British actor said in a statement Friday that he is “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.
“Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood,” Kaluuya added.
Barbie has a movie too:: Margot Robbie is going to star in a live-action film
“Working with Daniel Kaluuya will enable us to take a completely new approach to Barney that will surprise audiences and subvert expectations,” added Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner. “The project will speak to the nostalgia of the brand in a way that will resonate with adults, while entertaining today’s kids.”
Twitter had a field day with the concept, showing Kaluuya’s tough “Widows” character Jatemme Manning working on the film.
