Plenty of celebrities get makeovers as they age — and Barney the dinosaur is no different.
“Barney & Friends,” which starred the friendly purple T-Rex, premiered on PBS in 1992. On Monday, Mattel announced in a press release that it would reboot the show as an animated series in 2024, introducing Barney to a new generation of children.
The rebooted Barney “will span television, film, and YouTube content as well as music and a full range of kids’ products including toys, books, clothing, and more,” according to the release.
But as images of the updated Barney began hitting social media, some were confused about their beloved childhood icon’s new look.
In the images of the animated Barney, the character’s cheeks appear slimmer, his nose smaller and his teeth whiter than his original 1990s live-action model.
“They gave Barney contacts, a nose job and bigger veneers. Sad,” one person tweeted, showing off a side-by-side of the old and new Barney.
Another person simply asked: “WHAT did they do to barney???”
Some used the hashtag #NotMyDinosaur as they expressed horror at the new look.
“like why would they give a dinosaur a job and botox…give barney his chubby cheeks and nose back!” one person tweeted.
Mattel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fred Soulie, SVP and general manager of Mattel Television, said in the company’s news release that the new Barney is intended to inspire fans, young and old.
“With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care, and dream big,” Soulie said. “We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too.”
The news release did not state whether fellow beloved characters Baby Bop and B.J. would return to the reboot.
Separately, another “Barney” project is also in the works, from “Nope” star Daniel Kaluuya. He said in a July 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that his live-action Barney movie is still in early development, and that the script was being reworked. It is unclear whether that Barney will also be getting a makeover.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
