As part of Mattel’s franchise relaunch, a new CG-animated reboot of the classic Barney and Friends series is coming to Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito and HBO Max (soon to be known as simply Max). Warner Bros. Discovery recently picked up Barney’s World, which will be co-produced by Mattel Television and Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana.
The upcoming Barney’s World series is described as:
“With all the heart and comfort of the original iconic dinosaur, Barney’s World is modernized with dynamic characters and music-filled storylines that highlight themes of love, community, and encouragement. Set in a local playground, Barney is joined by dinos Billy and Baby Bop and their three kid best friends. Throughout silly and imaginative adventures together, Barney helps kids explore big preschool emotions and shows them how to love themselves and others.”
So, essentially a modernized and animated version of the series that debuted in 1992, sticking to similar themes which spawned a number of spin-off series and films.
Senior Vice President and General Manager of Mattel Television, Fred Soulie, says “Having grown up watching the original series, many of today’s parents have fond memories of laughing, singing, and learning with Barney and his friends. We are proud to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery to reimagine this famed brand and bring a fresh and modern version of Barney to a global audience of families.”
Soulie will gain executive producer credits on Barney’s World along with Christopher Keenan. Joining them from Nelvana are Colin Bohm, Doug Murphy, and Pam Westman.
Cartoonito is Cartoon Network’s early morning to mid-afternoon preschool programming block dedicated to inspiring “Creativity, Caring, Curiosity, and Courage.”
“Barney’s World perfectly exemplifies our ‘best in animation’ approach. It strikes the right nostalgia chord for today’s parents and introduces this iconic dinosaur to a new generation of preschoolers,” says Michael Ouweleen, President of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Family, and Boomerang under Warner Bros. Discovery’s umbrella of channels.
Barney’s World is scheduled to premiere internationally sometime in 2024.