Hollywood sure has a tendency for taking once-forgotten franchises and trying to breathe new life into them, often to mixed results. So it may not surprise the cynics among us that none other than ’90s kids show Barney is receiving the live-action reboot treatment. But what may surprise you is what respected name is attached to bring the project to life.
Daniel Kaluuya has become one of the foremost leading talents of his generation of actors through commanding performances in groundbreaking roles, such as Get Out, Black Panther, Queen & Slim, and Judah and the Black Messiah. The actor has a number of projects underway, as well, such as filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and already in post-production for The Upper World.
Now the British actor is purportedly helping to produce the aforementioned live reboot of Barney, the show about a lovable giant purple dinosaur who taught kids about love, family, and friendship through song, GameRant reports.
We have to admit, Kaluuya’s involvement as being a producer for the project has us somewhat intrigued and gives us hope that this is perhaps something other than a greedy studio’s soulless cash grab.
In a recent interview, Kaluuya explained his involvement as being something of a passion project, having fond memories growing up with the purple dino and the “I love you, you love me,” song was one of the first songs he remembers hearing.
“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. 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,” Kaluuya told Entertainment Weekly.
The actor went on to say that Barney’s message is especially needed after such a dark period that marked the coronavirus pandemic the world has been struggling with for the past couple of years. However, Kaluuya — who isn’t starring as the purple dinosaur or in any role in the film — also said there would be a “dark side” of the story as well.
What property do you think Hollywood should adapt next? Leave it in the comments below.
