Emmy-winning “The Bear” breakout Ayo Edebiri will write and is in talks to star in a live-action adaptation of the beloved children’s program “Barney” for A24, the studio announced on Tuesday. Mattel, Daniel Kaluuya’s 59% Productions and A24 are producing the feature.
Originally debuting in 1988, “Barney” became a global sensation, with the “Barney & Friends” series running for 14 seasons on PBS before concluding on November 2, 2010.
A24’s feature film has been in the works for a few years with Kaluuya attached. Plot details are under wraps, but Edebiri is an accomplished writer and comedian in addition to award-winning actress. She wrote on “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Dickinson” before landing her role on “The Bear,” for which she won an acting Emmy in the show’s first season.
Next up, Edebiri stars in the A24 thriller comedy “Opus” alongside John Malkovich, which hits theaters in March. She also stars in Luca Guadagnino’s next film “After the Hunt” alongside Andrew Garfield and Julia Roberts. That movie, from Amazon MGM Studios, opens later this year.
“Barney” will be overseen by Kevin McKeon and Andrew Scannell for Mattel Films. Robbie Brenner will serve as producer for Mattel Films, alongside A24. Daniel Kaluuya and Rowan Riley will produce for Kaluuya’s 59% Productions.
