Barney Gets A Dino-Sized Makeover To Be Rebooted For Animated Series & Film

Barney the Dinosaur is springing back to life from the recesses of your childhood imagination with an all-new look.

The cheery purple dinosaur who taught kids of the 90s about kindness and imagination is returning to screens by way of a new animated series and film content. This time, instead of having a guy in a suit dole out wise words with a jolly, baritone voice, the star will be a cartoon dino.

The new Barney is portrayed with a more T-rex-like head, along with larger eyes. He still sports the iconic green belly and spots, and yellow toes.

The animated series, currently untitled but envisioned for preschool children, will introduce a new generation of viewers “to the world of Barney through music-filled adventures centered on love, community, and encouragement,” explains Mattel in a press release. The show will be produced by Mattel Studios and Canadian media company Corus Entertainment (CJREF), with an expected air date in 2024.

“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,” shares Fred Soulie, general manager of Mattel Television. “With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care, and dream big.”

Other formats Barney will be appearing in include film and YouTube content, as well as music and merchandising.

There’s also something for all-grown-up fans who vaguely recall bopping along with young Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez, who played two of the kids on Barney & Friends. Mattel is also working on “apparel and accessories for adult fans” that revive the classic Barney.

“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,” notes Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products at Mattel.

And that’s one way Barney and longtime TV-viewing friends can reiterate: “I love you, you love me.”

[via CNN and Entertainment Weekly, images via various sources]