Barbie: Epic Road Trip is the first Netflix special from the Barbie franchise as part of a multi-year content partnership between Mattel Television and Netflix.

Debuting globally on Netflix yesterday (25th October), Barbie: Epic Road Trip is the first interactive special for the world-famous Mattel IP.

The special follows Barbie “Malibu” Roberts and Barbie “Brooklyn” Roberts as they take to the open road in Barbie. Alongside Skipper and Ken, the epic cross-country experience takes them from California to New York City as they search for forever homes for their adorable furry friends. When the chance of a lifetime awaits them in New York, every choice the audience makes puts Barbie down a different road.

Using interactive technology, Barbie: Epic Road Trip allows viewers to sit in the driver’s seat, choosing every path taken by Malibu and Brooklyn. Providing audiences with new and exciting choices at every turn, there are many adventures and possibilities for the duo. The story is theirs to make as each option takes Malibu, Brooklyn, Skipper and Ken one step closer to their dreams.

Honing in on the importance of friendship and individuality, Barbie: Epic Road Trip takes Malibu and Brooklyn’s dynamic into high gear as the best friends encounter more than 500 adventures. Featuring the musical moments audiences have come to love and an all-new way to interact with Barbie, the movie special promises to take viewers on a ride like never before.

Barbie: Epic Road Trip is the first title to be released through Mattel’s multi-year agreement with Netflix to produce and distribute new, bespoke content for Netflix derived from the iconic Mattel IP. These exclusive Barbie specials and series will air on the streamer in addition to the non-exclusive titles that are also distributed to broadcasters globally.

Fred Soulie, senior vice president and general manager, Mattel Television, said: “Barbie: Epic Road Trip further strengthens Barbie’s ability to inspire, empower and entertain kids on a global level. We’ve been consistently expanding the presence of Barbie on the ever-growing streaming landscape through episodic series, long-form movies and specials, digital gaming, YouTube short-form content, and now, our first-ever, interactive special. We couldn’t be more excited by this new era of Barbie content and for audiences to involve themselves with Barbie as they never have before.”

Christopher Keenan, senior vice president of Creative, Mattel Television, added: “Giving viewers the opportunity to choose different versions of Barbie’s stories is an all-new way for Mattel Television to deepen the worldwide audience’s experience of watching Barbie content. As kids and parents immerse themselves in the world of Barbie, they can take part in crafting a multitude of adventures for Malibu and Brooklyn, along with Ken and sister Skipper, by making choices for the characters at every twist and turn. This new storytelling format is full of endless possibilities.”