A 'Barbie' animated feature is moving forward, as Illumination & Mattel Studios have closed a deal percolating for some time, sources tell Deadline.

First the Cleveland Cavs, then the Miami Heat, next the L.A. Lakers, now LeBron James has joined Mattel's Barbie team as a 'Kenbassador' doll, the first professional male athlete to become one.

Unlike Barbie, who has had a ubiquitous cultural presence for decades, Betty Boop is a Depression-era cartoon character of a jazz-age flapper, and in looks, attitude and style, she is of her time ...