After Southside with You (2016), this is the second film to be made about Barack Obama in 2016. It went into production about a month after Southside with You (2016) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
The film is inspired by writings from "Dreams from My Father," Barack Obama's debut 1995 bestseller. In what's almost an auto-biography, Obama pens reflections on his earlier, scorned life as he struggled to reconcile with his race, scenes of which are portrayed in "Barry" (2016).
The film takes place in the year of 1981 which is about eight years prior to the time Southside with You (2016) is set in which is the year of 1989.
The nick-name of Barack Obama (Devon Terrell) in his earlier years was "Barry" which is this movie's title.