Former Barney voice actor David Joyner hopes Daniel Kaluuya and Ayo Edebiri do the character justice in their planned live-action film adaptation.
Joyner, who voiced the fictional dinosaur character in the PBS children’s series from 1991 to 2001, spoke to Consequence reporter Kiana Fitzgerald about the movie, which was formally announced in 2023.
Although the synopsis is currently under wraps, it will reportedly be an “A24-type” film geared towards adult viewers.
The voice actor said that he has a “mixed review” about the project due to Kaluuya’s “body of work” partly being horror flicks.
“We don’t know what’s going on; it has this mystery behind it,” he said. “And you look at her [Edebiri’s] body of work, and the role she’s playing now. I wanna see what they’re gonna come up with.”
“They’re giving some soul to the character and let’s see what these people do with that soul,” Joyner added.
The entertainer shared that he’s often asked whether he’ll participate in the movie, although he hasn’t been contacted.
“And it’s like, no, I haven’t been called or anything, but I’m excited about it. … The fact that they’re both people of color, we gotta say hello and give dap to our people,” he told the outlet.
The voice actor also also urged Kaluuya and Edebiri to remember the audience who grew up on Barney over 30 years after the character was formed.
“There’s a lot of Barney fans out there that are anticipating, wanting to see something that resembles the character that has made its global phenomenon throughout the years,” Joyner said. “Even like myself, I have a huge autistic following that are now adults and they still love Barney. I mean, love Barney.
“Whatever they tap into to make the story, have this nuance,” he continued. “Because what I’ve heard also is it’s gonna be more of an adult theme behind the movie itself. But I still hope they draw in those who really have grown to love Barney and understand the premise of Barney and the love of Barney.”
Joyner concluded by expressing hope that the film is “rooted in love.”
Barney has seen multiple iterations over the years, and its previous show, Barney & Friends, ran for 14 seasons from 1992 to 2010. The former series was based on its 1991 direct-to-video predecessor, Barney & the Backyard Gang, which Joyner starred in.
Barney will be produced in partnership with A24, Mattel Films, and Kaluuya’s 59% Productions.
“Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood,” Kaluuya said in a press release. “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.”
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