Mattel Television Announces Two New Barbie Specials

The launch of two all-new animated Barbie specials have been announced.

February 19, 2021

Mattel has announced the upcoming launch of two all-new animated Barbie specials. “Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday,” the first dedicated television movie featuring Barbie’s younger sister Chelsea in a starring role, will launch globally on broadcasters and streaming services this spring. The second special, which follows the success of last year’s “Barbie Princess Adventure,” will be a musical that follows Barbie and her friends to New York City.

“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,” says Adam Bonnett, executive producer, Mattel Television. “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.”

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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), with additional broadcast and streaming partners to be announced.

Executive producers for “Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday” include Bonnett, Fred Soulie, senior vice president and general manager, Mattel Television and Christopher Keenan, senior vice president, content development and production, Mattel Television. 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.