Ayo & Friends: Ayo Edebiri — yes, Ayo Edebiri — has been tapped to write the screenplay for the live-action Barney movie from A24.

But that’s not all. The Emmy-winning star of The Bear is also in talks to star in the upcoming feature, A24 announced Tuesday. The indie studio will co-develop and produce the project with IP owner Mattel and Daniel Kaluuya’s 59% Productions.

Plot and additional cast details remain under wraps, but Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner — who will produce alongside Kaluuya and 59%’s Rowan Riley — previously said it would be a “completely new approach” to the beloved children’s character that “will surprise audiences and subvert expectations.” 

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“Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood,” said Kaluuya in a statement when Mattel announced the project in 2019. “We’re excited to explore this compelling modern-day hero and see if his message of ‘I love you, you love me’ can stand the test of time.

Barney became a global sensation in 1992 with the debut of Barney & Friends series, which ran for 14 seasons on PBS until 2010 and featured a cast of child stars during the infancy of their burgeoning careers, including Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. Mattel, celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, has in recent years committed to the development of live-action movies of its IP, including the 2023 summer blockbuster Barbie from director Greta Gerwig and star and producer Margot Robbie.

Edebiri, also a comedian, producer, and director, is best known for her breakout role as Sydney Adamu on FX’s acclaimed dramedy series The Bear, about a young chef from the fine dining world (Jeremy Allen White) who returns home to run the family business — a local sandwich shop — after the death of his brother. Other notable credits from Edebiri include movies Bottoms and Inside Out 2, as well as shows Big Mouth and Abbott Elementary. She’ll next headline A24’s thriller movie Opus and appear alongside Julia Roberts in Luca Guadagnino‘s After the Hunt.