Filmmaker Casper Kelly premiered his horror parody 'Buddy' at the Sundance Film Festival's Midnight section, reimagining the Barney dinosaur as a deadly unicorn trapping children in a TV show. The project, co-written with Jamie King, features stars like Keegan-Michael Key and Michael Shannon. Kelly discussed how the film builds on his history of subverting pop culture tropes.
Casper Kelly, known for his surreal Adult Swim projects, debuted 'Buddy' on Thursday night as part of Sundance's Midnight program. The film transforms the 1990s children's show Barney into a nightmarish scenario where kids are ensnared in a TV world ruled by a murderous unicorn. If the children deviate from the script or challenge their surroundings, the unicorn eliminates them. The production's tactile sets evoke classics like 'Pee-wee's Playhouse' and 'Dora the Explorer.'
The concept originated from producer JD Lifshitz at BoulderLight Pictures, who sought a horror take on a Barney-like character. Kelly initially hesitated due to similarities with films such as 'Five Nights at Freddy's,' 'The Banana Splits Movie,' and 'Willy's Wonderland.' However, the trapped-in-TV premise intrigued him, aligning with a recurring theme in his work. As he recounted in an interview, an earlier discussion with SpectreVision's Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah highlighted this motif: 'Everything you've done has the theme of being trapped.'
Kelly's earlier successes include the 2015 viral hit 'Too Many Cooks,' which escalated sitcom credits into chaos, the 2022 slasher parody 'Adult Swim Yule Log,' and its 2024 sequel 'Branchin' Out,' mocking Hallmark romances. 'Buddy' aims for broader appeal with its ensemble cast, including Cristin Milioti, and backing from financiers targeting theaters. Kelly noted, 'This movie had financiers and a lot of creative producers who want this to be a theatrical movie... steering it in a way where it has my weirdness, but also perhaps is more accessible.'
Reflecting on production, Kelly praised cinematographer Zach Kuperstein, who also shot 'Barbarian,' for innovative blocking techniques using outdated software. 'I learned so much on this movie,' Kelly said. 'I feel like I got a lot better at blocking scenes... But it's so addictive, and I want to make so much stuff. I'm just so excited.' The film's blend of horror and accessibility positions it as a potential standout for genre fans at the festival.
