There’s a lot in the works when it comes to TV and movies for toy company Mattel. From the mega success of summer 2023 Barbie was released, the company worked hard to see how to profit from its other properties. This led to both of these next Barney film that will be the protagonist No AND Black Panther star Daniele Kaluuyaas well as returning to the character this week with the new Max animated series Barney’s World.
The company is also working on a movie based on the American Girl doll line and the release of a big-budget adaptation of the same Masters of the Universe with Amazon MGM Studios next June.
Barney’s Worldwhich debuted Monday on Max and will have its linear launch October 18 on Cartoon Network, is a great example of how Mattel’s TV and film groups are working overtime to retain Millennial, Gen Z and preschool (a who they prefer to refer to as “fans”, according to Silverman) busy tackling their eighty years of activity.
Josh Silverman, Mattel’s chief franchise officer, sat down with Variety to talk about upcoming projects, first touching on the new Barney show:
“Barney” was certainly one of the diamonds in the rough that we identified from the beginning. We recognize that “Barney” has a truly passionate fan base. Generation Z and Millennials who grew up with the show had an incredible connection. Even today, you can just whistle a “Barney” song and people are like, oh my God, I know. That emotion is really, really important. Those sensory memories, particularly for Gen Z and Millennials, take you back to this wonderful time in childhood where these stories were so resonant, so important. A lot of fans are parents now, so we saw this as a nice opportunity to relaunch the franchise. The insights we had about “Barney,” and certainly a lot of conversations we had with our fans, showed us the opportunity to really connect with our audience with the term that we refer to, as “newsalgia.” It refers to something new to this younger generation, so in this case, preschoolers, but nostalgic to people who grew up with it. And the ability to do it together is truly unique.
He went on to talk about other new projects, including the Masters of the Universe movies:
I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight my enthusiasm for “Masters of the Universe.” Talk about world building; June 26th will be incredible. And we’re so excited about Travis Knight’s direction that we’ve announced some cast members, including Nicholas Galitzine. And that’s something that we’ll definitely turn up the volume on a little bit as we continue to ramp up. We want to continue to extend our iconic intellectual property, sometimes it will be for a relaunch, in the case of “Barney,” or to leverage and tell new stories that could go in different directions.
When asked if the new American Girl doll movie is aiming to be next BarbieSilvermann said:
We treat all of our intellectual property somewhat discreetly, and we want to tell those stories and engage with our fans in a way that’s meaningful to them, and so it’s not about a contrast or a comparison. We really want to lean into and love the intellectual property and make sure we give fans the things they would expect, but also the things they don’t expect. I think the real power for us is to look around corners and anticipate wants and needs and create things that are revolutionary and surprise and delight with their imagination. When it comes to American Girl, it is the pioneer of experiential retail. It was the first and continues to be, in my opinion, the best. Mattell does a lot in live experiences, in locations, in entertainment, in experiential. But the real article, the author, was American Girl. The audience ranges in age from zero to 99 years old. People love stories and they connect to both stories, “The Care and Keeping of You,” there’s Girl of the Year. There are so many elements through which you can go into the story to develop films, develop some television content.
There’s certainly a lot in the works for the toy company, and luckily, there seems to be something for everyone. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming projects, and let us know which Mattel property you’re most excited to see.
via: Variety
by Jessica Fisher
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
