Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ayo Edebiri has been tapped to write and possibly star in the upcoming Barney film for A24. The project was first announced in 2019, and has Daniel Kaluuya attached as a producer under his 59% Productions banner. Mattel will also aid in the distribution.

The titular purple dinosaur was first seen in a direct-to-video series, Barney & The Backyard Gang, in 1988 and has since become a childhood staple through the TV Series Barney & Friends, which aired on PBS for 14 seasons between 1992 and 2010. Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz previously commented on the upcoming project, stating that it would take a “fresh approach” to the character, finding a tone that is “fun, entertaining, and culturally relevant.”

Ayo Edebiri is most recognized for her work in the FX comedy-drama series The Bear alongside Jeremy Allen White. She’s had film appearances in recent projects such as Bottoms, Pixar’s Inside Out 2, and the upcoming horror-thriller Opus, also distributed by A24, which will see Edebiri as a journalist in the midst of an eccentric cult led by a pop star, played by John Malkovich. When it comes to her work behind the camera, Edebiri has received Director’s Guild praise for her direction on an episode of The Bear and has also received writing credits for projects such as What We Do In The Shadows and Dickinson. 

Off of its success with 2023’s Barbie, Mattel is in production of several other projects, including a live-action Masters of the Universe film starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man for Amazon. Other projects in development include Hot Wheels, American Girl, and Polly Pocket, among many others.