Ayo Edeberi in talks to write and star in live-action 'Barney' movie
Specialized media have revealed that actress Ayo Edebiri , star of Bottoms and The Bear, would be in charge of writing and starring in the live-action Barney film, produced by the distributor A24 and 59% Productions , producer of actor Daniel Kaluuya , in conjunction with Mattel Films.
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The project, which Kaluuya 's name has been linked to since the beginning, was announced in late 2019. It was then put on hold indefinitely; however, after Edebiri's involvement was revealed, it was also confirmed that Kevin McKeon and Andrew Scanell will oversee production for Mattel Films, while Nope! star Rowan Riley will oversee production for 59% Productions , alongside Robin Brenner for Mattel and A24.
A new "surreal" versionAlthough the plot is still unknown, thanks to what Mattel's Kevin McKeon revealed in 2023 for The New Yorker , it is known that it will be a "surreal" film aimed at adult audiences.
“It’s not R-rated, but it will focus on some of the trials and tribulations of being in your 30s, growing up with Barney, just the disillusionment within the generation,” the executive said at the time.
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Finally, the most recent thing that is known, although it does not reveal much either, is what Mattel's franchise director, Josh Silverman , told Variety in October 2024, where he "teased" the very different plots between the new animated version of the character that is being developed for Max, and the one that can be seen in the film soon to be released.
“In this case, the ‘Barney’ movie will be what it will ultimately be, and we feel like we want to keep the authenticity of this show. That’s very, very important. If it’s not authentic, we’re not going to do it. We want to stay true to the authenticity, to the DNA of ‘Barney,’ but we also want to modernize it,” he said.
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Ayo Edebiri recently lent her voice to Envy in Inside Out 2 , and will next star alongside Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield in After the Hunt , the new film by Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino . She is also the protagonist of Mark Anthony Green ' s Opus , which will be released in theaters in the second half of this year.
