Upcoming Barney Movie Confesses They Are ‘Not Fine Tuning this for Kids’
By Movieguide® Contributor
The Daniel Kaluuya-led Barney movie has lost sight of its core audience and will lean into nostalgia rather than a child audience, a recent report reveals.
“We’re leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids,” Mattel executive Kevin McKeon told The New Yorker. “It’s really a play for adults. Not that it’s R-rated, but it’ll focus on some of the trials and tribulations of being thirty-something, growing up with Barney – just the level of disenchantment within the generation.”
Mattel is missing the mark by aiming for an adult audience rather than creating a movie for their natural child audience. While the moviemakers have said their project will still be entertaining for children, the way they talk about the movie calls that into question.
When Mattel was first pitched the movie, it was described as “surrealistic” and compared to the works of Charlie Kaufman (ANOMALISA, I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS) and Spike Jonze (HER, ADAPTATION). McKeon later explained that he hopes to create “A24-type” movies.
“It would be so daring of us, and really underscore that we’re her to make art,” he said.
None of this suggests how to movie will be appealing to children. It seems as though they will rely on the Barney name and put in little effort elsewhere to draw in a child audience.
“Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood,” producer Daniel Kaluuya told The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re 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.”
Mattel’s decision to make movies about toys and childhood characters that aren’t created for children is discouraging. It is also illogical from a business perspective as they are intentionally missing out on families, one of the largest audiences for movies. Their decision, however, is becoming more common across the industry.
Disney and Pixar have also started to lose touch with their child audience, as they move away from family-friendly values. The company has taken a hit because of it, losing an estimated $900 million over their last eight releases.
The movies that perform the best are uplifting and promote morality. It is discouraging to see a children’s company shy away from this type of movie.
Movieguide® previously reported:
The new BARBIE movie forgets its core audience of families and children while catering to nostalgic adults and pushing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender character stories.
Furthermore, the movie was poorly made with multiple premises, losing even the most die-hard fans.
To make an appealing movie, executives must define their audience. For Barbie, there was a built-in audience of little girls and merchandise for the movie.
“They had a built-in market and audience for this franchise that they completely ignored,” said a Movieguide® staff member. “Millions of families would have turned out to the theaters and purchased tickets, but instead, Mattel chose to cater to a small percentage of the population who has proven over and over to abandon the box office. Movieguide®’s 40 years of research indicate this just isn’t true, and Mattel has made a grievous mistake.”
- Content: +2Share:
- Content: +1