Ayo Edebiri might star in a live-action Barney film produced by Daniel Kaluuya

The Bear star Ayo Edebiri is in talks to write and star in Mattel's live-action Barney movie, produced by Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya, per Variety.

The project has been in discussion since 2019, when Daniel Kaluuya's name was attached. Kaluuya's 59% production is backing this movie in association with A24 Studios and Mattel Films. Now, Ayo Edebiri is considered to write and star in a live-action version of Barney. The animated TV series aired for 14 seasons on PBS.

In 2020, Daniel Kaluyya told Entertainment Weekly why he wanted to bring Barney to life.

"Barney taught us, 'I love you, you love me. Won't you say you love me too?' That's one of the first songs I remember, and what happens when that isn't true? I thought that was really heartbreaking. I have no idea why but it feels like that makes sense. It feels like there's something unexpected that can be poignant but optimistic. Especially at this time now, I think that's really, really needed."

While Kaluyya's banner is producing the live-action film, he will not be acting in it, per Variety. No plot details have been revealed yet. Robbie Brenner will serve as the producer from Mattel's side, with Andrew Scannell and Kevin McKeon overseeing the project.

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Barney: Everything we know so far about Ayo Edebiri's new, potential project

The Barney movie comes in the wake of the massive success of Greta Gerwig's Barbie as a part of the slate of potential Mattel films, which includes Polly Pocket and American Girl. However, Daniel Kaluuya's 59% production banner has been attached to it since 2019.

At the time, Mattel Films mentioned that Barney would "subvert expectations" and

"speak to the nostalgia of the brand in a way that will resonate with adults while entertaining today’s kids.”

Later, in 2023, Mattel's Kevin McKeon mentioned their plans for a “surrealistic” Barney movie in the style of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation collaborators - Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman.

“We’re leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids".

McKeon further added,

“It’s really a play for adults. Not that it’s R-rated, but it’ll focus on some of the trials and tribulations of being thirty-something, growing up with Barney—just the level of disenchantment within the generation.”

In line with this, Ayo Edebiri's collaboration makes sense considering her past work in dramedies like Bottoms (2023) and Theater Camp (2023) and shows like The Bear, Big Mouth, and Abbott Elementary. She has also written for shows like FX's What We Do in the Shadows and Apple TV+'s Dickinson and her recent directorial in The Bear earned a DGA nod.

Ayo Edebiri will soon be seen in Opus (March 2025 release) and Challengers director Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt alongside Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield.