TV movie ‘Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday’ features Barbie’s younger sister Chelsea on a quest to save her birthday; ‘Barbie Princess Adventure’ is a musical special following Barbie and her friends on an adventure to New York City.
Mattel is launching two all-new CG animated Barbie specials, Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday, a TV movie featuring Barbie’s younger sister Chelsea. The film will launch globally this spring on broadcasters and streaming services. The second is a musical special, Barbie Princess Adventure, that follows Barbie and her friends to New York City, launching this fall.
Directed by Cassi Simonds (Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures), Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday tells the story of Chelsea, Barbie’s precocious youngest sister, and the rest of the Roberts family as they set sail on an adventure cruise for her seventh birthday. When they cross the International Date Line, Chelsea discovers her actual birthday has been lost and she embarks on a fantastical journey through an enchanted jungle island to save it.
“Barbie’s brand message, about inspiring the limitless potential in every child, and her stories resonate deeply with both kids and parents all over the world,” commented Mattel Television executive producer Adam Bonnett. “This year, we are expanding the Barbie content universe in a number of ways, starting with a fantastical story centered around Barbie’s little sister, Chelsea, an incredibly popular character in the Barbie family. We have barely scratched the surface of the stories the brand can tell, and this is the first of many scripted and unscripted Barbie projects we have in production and development.”
The 60-minute special will be available on Netflix in the U.S. as well as on Cartoonito (Italy); Pop (UK); 9Go! (Australia); Neox Kids; (Spain); SuperRTL (Germany); Carousel (Russia); and iQIYI (China). Additional broadcast and streaming partners to be announced.
Executive producers for Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday include Bonnett, Mattel Television SVP and GM Fred Soulie, and Mattel Television SVP Content Development and Production, Christopher Keenan. Ann Austen will co-executive produce. Animation services are being provided by Mainframe Studios.
In addition to launching new content focused on Chelsea, the Barbie brand will also introduce complementary dolls, playsets and accessories based on the character this spring. These new products are part of a broader strategy to expand the franchise with new items focused on Barbie’s friends and family.
Source: Mattel Television
