While it's been a while since we've heard any updates, Daniel Kaluuya has confirmed that his "heartbreaking" live-action Barney movie is still in early development and that the script is currently being reworked.
Kaluuya was speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about what projects are currently in development at his production company 59%. He wasn't ready to reveal everything happening behind the curtain, but he did briefly discuss this project regarding everyone's favorite purple dinosaur and why it was a project he was so interested in.
“My last number of films have been so aligned to kind of what I stand for as a man,” Kaluuya said. “But there are a whole lot of things that I do as a man. I love kids’ films. How did everyone get into films? Watching kids’ films. I don’t want to restrict myself to the limitations of what I’m perceived as.”
As for what he is perceived as, Kaluuya says he believes he is seen as "a bit serious. A bit, not mysterious, but like I don't give too much away."
Kaluuya spoke to EW in 2020 about this Barney project, and the premise of the film appears to be a bit "heartbreaking."
"Barney taught us, ‘I love you, you love me. Won’t you say you love me too?’ That’s one of the first songs I remember, and what happens when that isn’t true? I thought that was really heartbreaking," Kaluuya said. "I have no idea why but it feels like that makes sense. It feels like there’s something unexpected that can be poignant but optimistic. Especially at this time now, I think that’s really, really needed."
Barney & Friends was a children's show that aired from 1992-2009 and starred Barney, a purple Tyrannosaurus Rex, and his friends Baby Bop, B.J., Riff, and more.
It may be some time before Barney makes it to the big screen, but fans of Kaluuya can soon see him in Jordan Peele's upcoming film Nope as it will premiere in theaters on July 22, 2022.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.