Tag

Curry Barker

All articles tagged with #curry barker

No Ghost Directors: YouTube Creators Break Into Hollywood Horror
entertainment4 days ago

No Ghost Directors: YouTube Creators Break Into Hollywood Horror

The Hollywood Reporter debunks online rumors that viral horror filmmakers Kane Parsons (Backrooms) and Curry Barker (Obsession) had established Hollywood directors ghost-directing their films; insiders say creator-driven talent from YouTube is a legitimate, growing path to big-screen opportunities, with defenders noting classist skepticism and citing examples like Markiplier’s Iron Lung as evidence that Hollywood is increasingly embracing online creators.

Tea Shop’s Obsession: How Two Indie Producers Backed a First-Time Director to a Global Hit
entertainment7 days ago

Tea Shop’s Obsession: How Two Indie Producers Backed a First-Time Director to a Global Hit

The Hollywood Reporter profiles Tea Shop Productions founders James Harris and Mark Lane, who discovered Curry Barker’s The Chair, funded Obsession with a modest budget, and built a global hit by prioritizing creative control and operating outside the major studio system. The piece traces their rise with hits like 47 Meters Down and Fall, their commitment to backing first-time directors, and how Obsession has given them more freedom to pursue projects they love.

Obsession Breaks Records in Historic Second Weekend
entertainment9 days ago

Obsession Breaks Records in Historic Second Weekend

Curry Barker’s debut horror film Obsession has burst onto the domestic box office, grossing well over $60–68 million on a $750,000 budget in under two weeks. Over the Memorial Day weekend, it earned $23.9 million in the three-day span—a 39% jump from opening weekend—marking the biggest second-weekend spike in modern times for a wide release outside Christmas. Focus Features won distribution rights after Toronto for about $15 million, and the movie is in roughly 2,755 theaters, with about 75% of early audiences aged 18–34, signaling strong Gen Z enthusiasm and momentum toward a $70 million domestic run.

Curry Barker Draws Eight-Figure Bids for Next Film Before Pitch
entertainment9 days ago

Curry Barker Draws Eight-Figure Bids for Next Film Before Pitch

Curry Barker, the Obsession filmmaker who rose from YouTube to Hollywood, is already drawing eight-figure offers for his next original project, with Universal in play via Blumhouse-Atomic Monster’s right of first negotiation; Barker has already shot Anything But Ghosts for Focus and is linked to Texas Chainsaw Massacre for A24, as industry interest grows following Obsession’s breakout performance and the rise of YouTube-created horror talent.

Rookie Director Curry Barker Scores Historic Horror Box Office with Obsession
entertainment9 days ago

Rookie Director Curry Barker Scores Historic Horror Box Office with Obsession

Curry Barker’s debut feature Obsession defies norms by delivering a blockbuster return on a $1 million budget: it opened to $17 million domestically and $23.9 million over Memorial Day, bringing the global total to about $75 million. The horror film also posted a second-weekend rise of roughly 30–39%, a rare feat for a wide-release horror title. Barker, who first drew attention from a YouTube short, has earned praise from Blumhouse’s Jason Blum as the industry watches a new rising talent, even as a younger YouTube-made horror rival—Kane Parsons’s Backrooms—moves toward theaters.

Obsession: Bear Is Not a Black-and-White Villain, Says the Star
entertainment10 days ago

Obsession: Bear Is Not a Black-and-White Villain, Says the Star

In a spoiler-filled interview, Michael Johnston argues that Bear is a morally gray figure rather than the film’s outright villain, detailing his motivations, the controversial “What’s so bad about being with me?” moment with Nikki, the dynamics with Ian and Sarah, and how the ending and Curry Barker’s direction invite audiences to grapple with desire, consent, and consequence.

Tiny Budget, Massive Buzz: Obsession Stuns at the Box Office
entertainment11 days ago

Tiny Budget, Massive Buzz: Obsession Stuns at the Box Office

Focus Features' Obsession, a $750,000-budget horror by Curry Barker, surged in its second weekend to $23.9 million (over Memorial Day, $30M with Monday), finishing No. 2 behind The Mandalorian and Grogu and marking an unprecedented 39% weekend rise for a horror title opening on 2,000+ screens. With worldwide gross over $80 million, the film’s success underscores a trend of low-budget horrors thriving and highlights the growing influence of YouTubers in promoting horror cinema.

YouTuber-helmed indie horror Obsession defies odds with global box-office surge
entertainment11 days ago

YouTuber-helmed indie horror Obsession defies odds with global box-office surge

Indie horror Obsession, shot for $750,000 in 20 days by Curry Barker, is projected to gross about $79.7 million globally in its second weekend (roughly $58.5 million in North America), a rare growth for the genre praised by Jason Blum. The TIFF debut spurred a bidding war and Focus Features acquired the project, highlighting how YouTube creators are reshaping Hollywood and expanding Barker’s slate with future projects like a Texas Chain Saw Massacre remake.

From Shorts to Slasher: Curry Barker's Rapid Rise in Horror
entertainment18 days ago

From Shorts to Slasher: Curry Barker's Rapid Rise in Horror

Curry Barker, 25, has burst onto Hollywood's horror scene after Obsession premiered at TIFF to strong buzz, with Focus Features purchasing the $750,000 film for about $15 million. Barker writes, directs and edits his projects from a bedroom studio with collaborator Cooper Tomlinson, while lining up Anything But Ghosts and a Texas Chainsaw Massacre adaptation for A24, and drawing backing from Blum and Roy Lee as he becomes one of the genre's hottest young talents.

Curry Barker’s Obsession Roars Out of TIFF with $17.2M Opening
box-office19 days ago

Curry Barker’s Obsession Roars Out of TIFF with $17.2M Opening

Inde Navarrette stars in Obsession, a TIFF-acquired horror romance from Curry Barker, which opened to $17.2 million and placed third behind Michael and Prada 2. The film earned an A- CinemaScore and strong PostTrak interest, suggesting solid legs, and Barker is already lined up for Anything But Ghosts with Blumhouse/Focus and an A24 reboot of Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Curry Barker Debuts Obsession, Teases Blumhouse Ties and a Bold Horror Outlook
film20 days ago

Curry Barker Debuts Obsession, Teases Blumhouse Ties and a Bold Horror Outlook

Horror filmmaker Curry Barker discusses his new film Obsession, his breakout Milk & Cereal, and ongoing support from Jason Blum. He explains how his collaboration with Tomlinson evolved from film school to online audiences with “That’s A Bad Idea,” and notes that Blum is championing his work for future projects. Barker also shares casting insights, notes a previously more extreme cut that was toned down, and hints at a busy slate ahead including Blumhouse collaborations and involvement in A24’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre project, all while Obsession is currently in theaters.

Curry Barker Teases Obsession 2 or Anthology Despite Plot Hole
film20 days ago

Curry Barker Teases Obsession 2 or Anthology Despite Plot Hole

Deadline reports that Curry Barker’s horror hit Obsession is thriving at the box office as he weighs a follow-up—either a direct Obsession 2 or an anthology TV series set in the same world. Barker acknowledges a plot hole around the One Wish Willow, noting the film’s rules don’t fully make sense because wishes could create alternate realities, yet the story still follows Bear’s and Ian’s wishes (and a money-wish moment) in a way that’s hard to reconcile. He envisions multiple episodes exploring different wishes or a film sequel, potentially directing the pilot with a new team, while remaining open to revisiting Obsession despite other projects in development.

Inde Navarrette Explains Nikki’s Violent Transformation in Obsession
entertainment20 days ago

Inde Navarrette Explains Nikki’s Violent Transformation in Obsession

In a Hollywood Reporter interview, Inde Navarrette breaks down Nikki’s terrifying transformation in Curry Barker’s Obsession—how a wish from Bear unleashes a possessed, violent side, the practical, non-CGI crafting of Nikki’s movement, and the ending in which Bear sacrifices himself to undo the wish. She also discusses the TIFF premiere, Focus Features’ acquisition, influences like Jennifer’s Body and Mia Goth, and the possibility of revisiting the world in a sequel.

Curry Barker’s Obsession Roars to $2.6M Previews, Eyes $10M+ Opening
entertainment21 days ago

Curry Barker’s Obsession Roars to $2.6M Previews, Eyes $10M+ Opening

Focus Features and Blumhouse’s supernatural horror Obsession earned $2.6 million in Thursday previews and early access screenings, signaling a domestic $10–12 million opening as it expands to 2,542 theaters; the film is drawing strong early praise (about 95% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and audiences) and benefited from aggressive digital marketing and a TIFF debut, positioning it for a potentially tighter Memorial Day weekend race with The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Michael.

Curry Barker's Obsession fuels buzz as he eyes a fresh Chainsaw chapter
entertainment22 days ago

Curry Barker's Obsession fuels buzz as he eyes a fresh Chainsaw chapter

Rising horror director Curry Barker's Obsession hits theaters May 15 after buzz at Toronto, with Focus Features backing the film and Jason Blum as an executive producer. Barker says his goal is to put ordinary people in terrifying, boundary-pushing scenarios, and he’s also been tapped to direct a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre, exploring Leatherface and the family’s unsettling dynamics.