Curry Barker’s ‘Obsession’ Nets $95 Million, Studios Offer $10 Million for His Next Film

The low‑budget horror film Obsession, written and directed by 26‑year‑old YouTube creator Curry Barker, has become a global box‑office phenomenon. Made for roughly $750 000‑$1 million, the movie earned $17.2 million on its opening weekend in the United States and saw a rare second‑weekend increase of around 30‑40 percent, taking its worldwide gross to about $95 million – more than 100 times its production cost.

The unexpected success has drawn intense studio interest. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a major Hollywood studio has reportedly offered $10 million for Barker’s next project, even though no script is yet attached. The offer is complicated by an existing first‑look deal that gives Universal/Focus Features and its Blumhouse‑Atomic Monster banner the right of first refusal on Barker’s upcoming film.

Barker’s next feature, titled Anything But Ghosts, will be set in the same universe as Obsession and stars Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard and Violet McGraw. He has also been hired by A24 to direct a reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The combination of the box‑office breakout, the high‑value studio bid, and the slated sequel and remake has made the Barker story one of the most talked‑about developments in the entertainment industry this week.