Ayo Edebiri Joins A24’s Wildly Unexpected Live-Action Barney Movie!

by

The notion of a Barney film, produced by Academy Award-winner Daniel Kaluuya and written by and starring Emmy-winning actress Ayo Edebiri, sounds almost too absurd to be true, as if it were a joke straight out of an SNL sketch. But astonishingly, this is no laughing matter; the project is indeed real. In fact, A24’s Barney could very well become one of the most intriguing intellectual property adaptations since Barbie. The development of the Barney movie was initially announced in 2019, but it seems to be picking up some serious momentum now that Kaluuya is assembling a formidable creative team for this live-action reboot.

According to Variety, Ayo Edebiri has been signed on for both writing and acting roles in the upcoming Barney movie that’s still in production. Daniel Kaluuya’s 59% Productions and A24 are collaborating to produce this film, working hand-in-hand with Mattel Films, who own the intellectual property of Barney. Despite Kaluuya being the lead producer for the creative development of Barney, he is not anticipated to appear in the movie. The storyline of Barney remains a secret at present, and as of now, no director has been appointed for the project.

First introduced in 1988, Barney made his initial appearance in a collection of direct-to-video releases called Barney & The Backyard Gang. However, it wasn’t until the PBS series Barney & Friends, which aired from 1992 to 2010, that Barney gained significant popularity among children. This long-running series focused on Barney, a cheerful and upbeat purple Tyrannosaurus rex who shared educational content through music and dance. In the 1990s, Barney & Friends became a cultural phenomenon, attracting both admiration and criticism from older kids and adults. Yet, those who grew up with Barney hold fond memories of the series and its protagonist. Given that Kaluuya and Edebiri were the right age for Barney & Friends during its original broadcast, their interest in reviving the franchise is understandable.

‘Barney & Friends’ Is Getting the ‘Barbie’ Treatment

Mattel is working to revive the Barney franchise for a modern audience. In October 2024, a completely computer-generated reboot called “Barney’s World” premiered on Max, with Jonathan Langdon of Trap providing the voice for the main dinosaur character. The A24 movie by Edebiri and Kaluuya seems to be targeted at fans who remember the original “Barney & Friends,” while still keeping a family-friendly tone. Although A24 is often linked with adult dramas and popular horror films, they’ve also produced family-friendly movies like 2022’s “Marcel the Shell” and an upcoming release called “The Legend of Ochi.

The addition of Edebiri to the Barney project is intriguing, given her impressive resume in shows like Big Mouth, Dickinson, What We Do in the Shadows, and Craig of the Creek, which suggests a unique twist for fans from what they might expect from a Barney movie. Similarly surprising is Kaluuya’s involvement with a Barney film, considering his past projects such as Get Out, Nope, and Judas and the Black Messiah. It seems Mattel aims to replicate its successful transformation of Barbie by entrusting one of its most iconic but sometimes ridiculed brands to skilled creatives who can infuse their personal touch. The collaboration between Edebiri and Kaluuya on the Barney project is as captivating as that of Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie on the Barbie movie, making the live-action Barney reboot a must-watch.

Read More

2025-02-25 21:32