Mattel unveils Barney the Dinosaur’s ‘horrifying’ new look amid franchise relaunch

While kids adored the purple dinosaur Barney in the ‘90s, fans are not loving his new look.

After the toy company Mattel announced a relaunch of the Barney franchise, the internet reacted to the beloved character’s “scary” extreme makeover.

“Thank you, Mattel for giving me nightmares with this horrifying-looking #Barney,” one Twitter user wrote. 

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Another user tweeted, “man barney looks scary now.”

Mattel has announced a relaunch of the Barney franchise. (Mattel)

The life-sized purple dinosaur’s updated look features an animated version of the childhood phenomenon.

Barney now has big green eyes, a new set of teeth and embodies more of a Tyrannosaurus Rex with vibrant colors.

“That’s not Barney!” a fan reacted. 

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“I don’t know how…. but they made Barney more Scary Looking!!” another user said.

Mattel did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The hit PBS series aired from 1992 until 2010. It was a top-ranking program for children under age 6. (Mark Perlstein/Getty Images)

The company hopes parents will enjoy the rebranding of Barney for the next generation of kids. 

“Barney’s message of love and kindness has stood the test of time,” Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products at Mattel, said in a statement about the rebranding.

Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato were two famous alums featured on the children’s show “Barney & Friends.” (Mark Perlstein/Getty Images)

“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,” Silverman noted.

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Barney’s transformation comes on the heels of the “I Love You, You Hate Me,” docuseries which uncovers the shocking dark side of the purple dinosaur. The project was released in October 2022.

The two-part “Barney” documentary uncovers alleged death threats, rumors and violence toward the beloved character.

“There’s not one main reason some people hated Barney,” director Tommy Avallone told Fox News Digital last year. “You know, there were different pockets.”

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Some even suspected that David Joyner, who played Barney, struggled with substance abuse on set.

“My favorite [was] asking… ‘There’s an urban legend that you hid so much cocaine in your tail,’” said Avallone. “He’s like, ‘How could I even get to that? There’s so many better spots to put my drugs if I did drugs!'”

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The hit PBS series, created by Sheryl Leach, Kathy Parker and Dennis DeShazer, aired from 1992 until 2010. It was a top-ranking program for children under age 6.

Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato were two famous alums featured on the children’s show “Barney & Friends.”