According to Variety, Ayo Edebiri, the star of The Bear, will pen the screenplay and potentially take center stage in A24's upcoming live-action adaptation of Barney. Ever since its announcement in November 2019, anticipation for this project has reached fever pitch, thanks to Mattel Films, the IP owner, and the involvement of Daniel Kaluuya, the renowned actor from Nope and Get Out, who is set to produce. At the time of the announcement, the film was heralded as a "completely novel take on Barney that promises to astound audiences and turn conventional expectations on their head."
In 2020, Kaluuya offered Entertainment Weekly an intriguing glimpse into the film's narrative, reminiscing, "Barney taught us, 'I love you, you love me. Won’t you say you love me too?' That catchy tune was one of my earliest musical memories, but what if that sentiment isn't true?" Fast forward to 2023, Mattel's head of film revealed that the project would embrace the essence of an "A24-style film," though concrete news of A24's involvement only emerged alongside Edebiri's casting news on Tuesday. Intriguingly, Variety's sources have clarified that contrary to fans' expectations, Kaluuya will not be sharing the screen with Edebiri.
