Curry Barker is currently on top of the world with Obsession, a low-budget horror flick that’s blowing up the box office and earning raves. Studios are keen to get involved with the young filmmaker, and THR has reported that one studio even attempted to make a $10 million offer for Barker’s next original project without knowing a single thing about it.
The Curry Barker Obsession
The report makes note of the word “attempted” because Universal already has the right of first negotiation for Barker’s next original feature. He’ll soon meet with Universal executives to pitch his new project, but if they don’t go for it, another studio will be ready to make an official offer.
Whatever this project ends up being, it won’t be Barker’s next film to be released in theaters. He’s already wrapped production on Anything But Ghosts, a mystery horror film starring Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Violet McGraw. In addition to directing, Barker also co-wrote the script with frequent collaborator Cooper Tomlinson and will appear in the film.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
It’s also been announced that Barker will be writing and directing the new reimagining of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the works at A24. He recently commented on his new take, saying, “I’m really excited to do a Texas Chainsaw Massacre that’s not just about a guy chasing some people around with a chainsaw. [One] that has some heart to it, you know? Where you care about these characters, and you want to see them survive, but you know… it is still brutal.“
He added that, with the exception of the “quite good” 2003 remake, he’s had reservations about most of the sequels, remakes, and prequels which followed the original. “I really think that the potential for that series has not been fully realized,” he said. “I actually feel like a lot of the remakes went the complete opposite direction than they should have gone.”
What We Thought of Obsession
Our own Chris Bumbray caught Obsession at SXSW and loved it. “Barker guides the film with a sure hand and doesn’t shy away from hammering home his message about the difference between real love and obsession,” Bumbray wrote. “Many will note the movie’s gallows humor, with gore-heavy moments happening so randomly and brutally that you can’t help but laugh at how demented they are—only to realize moments later that what you’re watching is, in many ways, a classic horror tragedy.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.
