The iconic purple dinosaur is coming back, promising to get the song “I love you, you love me” stuck in your head all over again.
“Barney & Friends,” a ’90s hit television show that ran for 14 seasons, taught young children to be kind and optimistic, and now, it’s set to return in 2024 to teach a whole new generation, according to a press release.
The revival will be co-produced by Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, which works with children’s animated and live-action content, with Fred Soulie and Christopher Keenan attached as executive producers. Mattel plans to release Barney toys alongside the series while expanding into film, YouTube, music, books, clothing and more.
Soulie in the press release said that it was important to “properly reflect the world that kids today live in so that the series can deliver meaningful lessons about navigating it.”
“We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too,” he added.
Other details about the show aren’t available yet, but as Entertainment Weekly reported, a live-action “Barney” movie was already in the works in 2019.
“Barney’s message of love and kindness has stood the test of time,” said Josh Silverman, the CFO and global head of consumer products at Mattel. “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, products, and experiences.”