Mattel is looking to grow its brand and assets with a live-action preschool premium movie as it develops new animated series “Barney’s World” on Max and Cartoon Network and prepares for a live-action “Barney” movie starring Daniel Kaluuya. I am planning to embark on a TV series. , Josh Silverman, Mattel’s chief franchise officer, made the announcement Sunday at the MipJunior Leadership Keynote in Cannes, titled “Beyond the Toy Box: Shaping the Future of Play.”
Silverman also confirmed that a one-hour holiday special of Thomas the Tank Engine: The Christmas Letter Express will be released in the U.S. on November 21 on Netflix. The worldwide release will be on numerous broadcast and streaming platforms, including Milkshake. It is broadcast on Channel 5 and Nick Jr. in the UK and on Cartoonito in Italy.
“We’ve always done a really great job on the children’s animation side. We’ve had some great offerings on the unscripted side,” Silverman said. variety.
“One of the areas we’re really looking to focus on as we move forward here, and I’ll be sharing more information in the coming months, is very high quality, premium scripts. “We’re focused on developing and creating some live-action content. This is an area that we haven’t really stepped into, at least not in a meaningful way,” he added.
At MipJunior, Mr. Silverman also focused on building a brand proposition, consumer-centric innovation, cultural relevance (“we are timeless and timely,” he said), and a franchise mindset. We took four principles to further explore Mattel’s strategy.
“Barney’s World” is just the tip of the iceberg. “One of the things that struck me when I joined Mattel was the incredible breadth and depth of our intellectual property, our portfolio. We have franchises, characters and stories that are multi-generational and universally iconic and 99%, 100% recognizable, so we have incredible toys to play with in our toy boxes. ,” Silverman said at Cannes.
He also analyzed Mattel’s dramatic expansion into film and television, with 14 movies and 14 television titles in development in 2024, including 13 in production and 35 in development. He said there is.
Amid extensive coverage of Mattel, variety is delving into Mattel’s film based on the ‘American Girl’ doll line, bringing ‘Pet Sematary: Bloodline’ screenwriter Lindsay Anderson Beale on board and working with Amazon MGM Studios to create a big-budget movie. released an adaptation of Masters of the Universe. In June 2026, “Missing Link” director Travis Knight.
Skydance Media, Apple Original Films and Mattel will develop a live-action Matchbox movie starring John Cena and directed by Sam Hargrave.
A live-action movie, View-Master, based on Mattel’s 3D imaging toy is also in the works.
Mr. Silverman will present nine Mattel titles through screen display at the Cannes Film Festival: Barney’s World, Polly Pocket Adventures in Rio, Thomas the Tank Engine: All Engines Go, Hot Wheels, and Barbie Mysteries. : The Great Horse Chase” was highlighted. “Monsters of the Universe: Revolution,” “Monster High,” “Scrabble,” and “Pictionary.”
Mattel will announce new properties on Monday, Silverman teased.
Mattel’s cutting-edge approach to entertainment has many different aspects. Silverman argued that “Barney’s World” is a show of this zeitgeist, in the dinosaur’s message of love for oneself and others.
“At its heart, it’s about love, self-love, compassion, care, compassion, friendship. This is just Bernie. The world we live in, as we all know, is a very complex world. It’s always been that way. And this is a really weird and honest piece with great educational elements and emotions to help preschoolers express that love, compassion, and kindness in a funny and musical way. It’s an interpretation,” Silverman said on stage at Mip Jr. .
One of the recurring characters, 6-year-old Mel, is multiracial with Korean and Mexican descent, speaks three languages, and loves sharing her culture with her friends.
“I use the word authenticity. The team has certainly evolved with Barbie as a brand purpose and a brand purpose of being inclusive, but it really speaks to the world and the way we live and work. It’s a reflection of the community it’s in,” Silverman said.
Thomas the Tank Engine Christmas Letter Express is a colorful 2D animation created by Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana. In it, mail engine Percy discovers a child’s letter to Santa Claus left at the bottom of a mail cart on Christmas Eve. He is determined to make sure the letter gets delivered.
On November 21, the special will be streamed in the United States, Canada, Greece, Spain, Benelux, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan.
It will reportedly be available in additional markets in 2025, including the UK, Latin America, Italy, France, Poland and Turkey.
Mattel will celebrate its 80th anniversary next year. “We’re going to have a really great brand campaign. We’re really proud of how we continue to evolve as a company as a high-performing toy company,” Silverman said. “There are so many great elements: the tactility of toys, the elements of toys, globally iconic brands and franchises, characters and stories that resonate with a multigenerational and universal audience. I have,” he added.
“Our future evolution as a high-performing toy company is to expand our entertainment offerings and transition into a true intellectual property company to truly connect with our fans across all aspects of our business,” Silverman said. said.
