- The Bear star Ayo Edebiri will write and possibly star in the live-action Barney movie
- The movie will be made by Mattel the developers who made 2023’s Barbie and two other companies
- The Barney movie was first announced in 2019
This is a headline we thought we’d never read. Yes, there is a live-action Barney movie in the works and The Bear star Ayo Edebiri is writing it. News broke on 25 February about Edebiri’s connection to the Barneyverse. The movie will be made by Mattel Productions in partnership with A24 and Daniel Kaluuyas’s company 59% Productions.
Kaluuya will be the main producer of the movie but will not star alongside Edebiri. Edebiri is best known for playing Sydney in The Bear. She is starring in the upcoming horror musical Opus and was going to star in Marvel’s Thunderbolts, but exited the project.
The live-action Barney movie which does not yet have a release date is based on the long-running show about the purple dinosaur. Barney & Friends ran from 1992 until 2010 on PBS. Bob West was the first voice of the dinosaur until 2001. The show helped jumpstart the careers of child stars like Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.
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Now Edebiri may star, although it hasn’t been confirmed yet. The details about the live-action Barney movie have been kept under wraps. Also coming to screens soon is a reboot of the animated Barney franchise to HBO Max, although it has no affiliation with the film. Here are the details we know about Edebiri’s role in the live-action Barney movie.
What part will Ayo Edebiri have in the live-action Barney?
At the moment it is just indicated that Edebiri is “in talks” to star, according to Variety. The Bear star’s primary role will be writing the screenplay for the movie. Since the movie is being overseen by multiple companies and producers, Edebiri will likely work with other writers on the project.
When the news broke, A24 posted on their Instagram. The studio wrote: “We’re a happy family @ayoedebiri @danielkaluuya @mattel”.
“We’re a happy family” is a reference to the lyrics of the I Love You Song from Barney & Friends.
Edebiri hasn’t reacted to the news yet, but we are sure she will soon.
How did the internet react to Ayo Edebiri joining the live-action Barney?
Many fans were confused that there even was a live-action Barney. The announcement was made in November 2019 and became official last year.
On the movie as a whole, one user wrote on X: “This is either gonna heal childhoods or ruin them forever.” I mean, isn’t Barney already live-action, it’s going to be pretty terrifying to see him reimagined.
This is either gonna heal childhoods or ruin them forever.
— Global Index (@TheGlobal_Index) February 25, 2025
Another user on the site praised the actress, and called her “amazing”. She was nominated for two Screen Actors Guild Awards for her role in The Bear.
She's amazing
— BELIEVING 💫🇳🇬 (@believinolawale) February 25, 2025
Meanwhile, another user remarked about Edebiri’s frequent work on A24 projects. Edebiri’s recent horror film Opus is made by A24.
She is taking every available role in A24 …..
— Oleg (@Oleoleg123) February 25, 2025
On the other hand, other users were excited to see her debut. A fan on X wrote: “Ayo Edebiri writing and possibly starring in A24’s Barney movie? This is about to be something special—can’t wait to see her take on it!”
Ayo Edebiri writing and possibly starring in A24’s Barney movie? This is about to be something special—can’t wait to see her take on it!
— RUHUL 🤍🌙 (@Rohol_Akand) February 25, 2025
One fan referenced a scene with Edebiri’s character Sydney on The Bear with the caption: “Starring in and writing Barney, yeah, get out of the way and let Ayo cook.”
Starring in and writing Barney, yeah, get out of the way and let Ayo cook. pic.twitter.com/Ds2Ozom3QA
— I have so many questions? (@english_shamar) February 25, 2025
Oh, she’ll be cooking, and eating up that role alright.
Is there a plot for the Barney movie?
Many of the details remain a secret for now. Many users on X think that the live-action Barney will be a horror, given that A24’s signature is horror movies. President of Mattel Films Robbie Brenner said when the film was announced that it would “take a completely new approach to Barney that will surprise audiences and subvert expectations.” He said this in response to working with Kaluuya on the project.
Kaluuya has been known to star in black-led horrors like Get Out and Nope. If he has any influence in this film, that could be the case for Barney. This means Eberiri could lead the film if she agreed to star.
It would be surprising for audiences if Barney went dark, although it isn’t the first time this has happened with a children’s franchise.
The wholesome childhood bear Winnie The Pooh had a slasher horror titled Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey in 2023. Altitude Film made it.
Keep updated on the live-action Barney movie with updates as they come!
