Curry Barker's third feature has been scooped again by Universal and Blumhouse.
Barker shot to fame with his debut, Obsession.
He has already shot his next film.
Obsession breakout director Curry Barker's third feature has landed at Universal and Blumhouse Atomic Monster.
In a reported eight-figure deal, Curry Barker will write, produce and direct his third film for Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Universal. The deal retains Barker in the Universal family, as Obsession was released by the Universal label Focus Features. Focus is also behind his already-shot second feature, Anything But Ghosts, which he wrote, directed and stars in. It stars Aaron Paul, Cooper Tomlinson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Violet McGraw, Chris Reinacher, and Barker himself and follows two fake paranormal investigators who confront actual ghosts. Details of the third new project are being kept under wraps, but it is described as a Barker original horror idea. The project was brought off of a pitch Curry Barker made to Universal's top brass.
“This film is something I’ve been excited to make for a while, and I’m thrilled to be reteaming with Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Universal Film Group for it,” Barker said of this new movie in a statement shared by The Hollywood Reporter. “They’ve built the kind of home for bold, original storytelling that every filmmaker dreams of, and I couldn’t imagine better collaborators for this film.” Blumhouse Atomic Monster's James Wan and Jason Blum spoke, "With Obsession, Curry did what only a handful of filmmakers manage in a generation: he made something wholly original that connected with a massive audience, and that connection is what we care about most. The best filmmakers can work anywhere, and we are proud to have a growing slate with Curry. Getting to put this project in front of the fans his work speaks to is the whole reason we do this.”
Obsession is written, directed and edited by Curry Barker, which tells the story of Bear, a music store employee who buys a supernatural toy to make his wish come true, which is for his friend Nikki to fall in love with him, leading to nightmarish consequences. The psychological film stars Michale Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter, Haley Fitzgerald and Darin Toonder, among others. Obsession premiered on September 5, 2025, at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Focus Features acquired distribution rights to the film for the world (excluding France, New Zealand, and Russia) for $14–$15 million, the highest price commanded by a genre film in TIFF history, with Universal Pictures International steering distribution outside the United States. Obsession has become Focus Features’ highest-grossing release of all time
