The Bearstar Ayo Edebiri will write and (possibly) star in A24’s live-action Barney movie, according to Variety. The project has been highly anticipated since it was announced in November 2019, from IP owner Mattel Films and with Nope and Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya attached to produce the film, which was pitched at the time as “completely new approach to Barney that will surprise audiences and subvert expectations.” Kaluuya previously described the film this way to Entertainment Weekly in 2020: “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?” In 2023, Mattel’s head of film said the project would be an “A24-type film,” but the first news of A24’s actual involvement comes along with Edibiri’s news on Tuesday. Sources told Variety that Kaluuya would not be starring alongside Edebiri, as many fans had assumed he’d be on-screen for the project.
