Ayo Edebiri Set to Write Live-Action ‘Barney’ Movie

After becoming a beloved children’s character in the Nineties, Barney is headed for the big screen, with Ayo Edebiri set to write the screenplay and is in talks to star in the live action film, Variety reports.

A24 will co-develop and produce the film with Daniel Kaluuya‘s production company, 59% Productions, and Mattel Films. Although Kaluuya will produce, he will not star in the film. The project has been in the works since 2019. A release date and plot details have yet to be announced.

The children’s series Barney & Friends ran for 14 seasons on PBS network. For nearly two decades, kids tuned in to watch the purple anthropomorphic Tyrannosaurus rex share educational messages through dance and music like “I Love You,” “Alphabet Soup,” and “The Airplane Song.”

An animated reboot of Barney arrived at Max last fall. The first season, which has aired 30 of its 52 episodes, follows the imaginary dinosaur, dino pals Billy and Baby Bop, and their kid best friends as they pursue music-filled adventures. Mattel chief franchise officer Josh Silverman told Variety in October that the animated series starring the friendly giant will differ from the upcoming live-action film.

“The ‘Barney’ film will be what it’s ultimately going to be, and this show, we felt that, we want to remain consistent to the authenticity,” Silverman told Variety. “That’s really, really important. If it’s not authentic, we’re not going to do it. We want to remain consistent to the authenticity, the DNA of Barney, but we also want to modernize.”

Edebiri, known as the disciplined chef in the Emmy-Winning drama The Bear, recently starred as a truth-seeking journalist in the A24 horror thriller Opus and voiced Envy in Inside Out 2. She’s expected to star in Luca Guadagnino’s next film After the Hunt.