Loads of celebrities get makeovers as they age — and Barney the dinosaur isn’t any completely different.
“Barney & Mates,” which starred the pleasant purple T-Rex, premiered on PBS in 1992. On Monday, Mattel introduced in a press launch that it will reboot the present as an animated collection in 2024, introducing Barney to a new technology of youngsters.
The rebooted Barney “will span tv, movie, and YouTube content material in addition to music and a full vary of youngsters’ merchandise together with toys, books, clothes, and extra,” in line with the launch.
However as pictures of the up to date Barney started hitting social media, some had been confused about their beloved childhood icon’s new look.
In the pictures of the animated Barney, the character’s cheeks seem slimmer, his nostril smaller and his enamel whiter than his authentic Nineties live-action mannequin.
“They gave Barney contacts, a nostril job and greater veneers. Unhappy,” one individual tweeted, displaying off a side-by-side of the previous and new Barney.
One other individual merely asked: “WHAT did they do to barney???”
Some used the hashtag #NotMyDinosaur as they expressed horror at the new look.
“like why would they provide a dinosaur a job and botox…give barney his chubby cheeks and nostril again!” one individual tweeted.
Mattel didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Fred Soulie, senior vp and basic supervisor of Mattel Tv, mentioned in the firm’s information launch that the new Barney is meant to encourage followers, younger and previous.
“With our trendy tackle Barney, we hope to encourage the subsequent technology to hear, care, and dream large,” Soulie mentioned. “We expect that folks, a lot of whom will fondly keep in mind the authentic Barney from their very own childhoods, will love the present, too.”
The information launch didn’t state whether or not fellow beloved characters Child Bop and B.J. would return to the reboot.
