OBSESSION Director Curry Barker Lands Massive New Horror Deal With Universal and Blumhouse
Curry Barker is quickly becoming one of the most exciting new voices in horror, and now he’s lined up an even bigger project.
Fresh off the incredible success of Obsession, Barker has officially locked in another feature film project, and it comes with a jaw-dropping eight-figure deal.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Film Group and Blumhouse Atomic Monster have secured Barker’s new feature, an original horror movie that he will write, produce, and direct.
While details about the story are being kept completely under wraps, the project reportedly originated from a pitch Barker personally delivered to Universal executives.
The deal continues a partnership that has been paying off in a huge way for everyone involved. Earlier this year, Focus Features released Barker’s breakout debut, Obsession, which has grown into one of the year’s most surprising theatrical success stories.
The filmmaker’s second feature, Anything But Ghosts, has already been completed and is also set up at Focus Features. Barker wrote, directed, and stars in that film as well. He is also set to write and direct The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Blumhouse Atomic Monster has been part of Barker’s rise from the beginning. The company joined Obsession after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and also served as a production partner on Anything But Ghosts. They’ll once again be involved with this newly announced project.
The producing team includes Roy Lee and Steven Schneider’s Spooky Pictures, along with Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath’s Divide/Conquer, the company behind hits such as The Black Phone and Heart Eyes.
Universal clearly sees Barker as a filmmaker worth betting on. NBCUniversal Entertainment chairman Donna Langley praised the director in a statement, saying: “Barker’s talent is redefining what’s possible, and we’re thrilled to continue our partnership with him.”
That confidence isn’t hard to understand when looking at what Obsession has accomplished. Since its release on May 15, the horror film has become a genuine pop culture phenomenon.
The movie opened to $17.2 million and then achieved something studios dream about: four consecutive weekends that each outperformed its opening weekend.
The film has gone on to become the highest-grossing release in Focus Features history and is currently tracking toward more than $300 million worldwide.
What makes that success even more remarkable is that Focus originally acquired the film out of TIFF after Barker independently produced it for just $750,000.
For Barker, the opportunity to continue working with Universal and its creative partners was an easy choice. “They’ve built the kind of home for bold, original storytelling that every filmmaker dreams of,” Barker stated.
Meanwhile, James Wan and Jason Blum also celebrated Barker’s achievements, saying he “made something wholly original that connected with a massive audience.”
That may be the biggest reason this new deal is generating so much excitement. At a time when studios are constantly searching for the next great horror franchise, Barker has proven that original ideas can still become major theatrical events.
Now fans are left wondering what nightmare he’s cooking up next. Whatever it is, Universal, Blumhouse Atomic Monster, and a growing audience of horror fans are clearly eager to find out.