Here’s Curry Barker again, the hottest director in Hollywood at the moment, with his $750K-costing “Obsession” not just going +39% in its second weekend, earning $21M, and expected to match that total this upcoming weekend.
No surprise, studios now want in on the Barker sweepstakes, keen to get involved with his next project, and THR is now reporting that at least one studio has even “attempted” to offer Barker $10M for his next original film — without knowing a thing about it. He hasn’t even pitched it.
Now, the key word is “attempted” because Universal technically and contractually has first negotiation rights for Barker’s next original film. He’s meeting with Universal executives to pitch his new project soon, but if they don’t go for it (and chances are they will), then that other studio offering $10M can make an official offer.
Oh, and this isn’t even Barker’s next film. He’s already shot “Anything But Ghosts,” a horror film starring Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Violet McGraw. It’s also been announced that Barker will be writing and directing A24’s “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” reboot.
Is this guy the real deal? Or is a desperate Hollywood jumping the gun on a young filmmaker with only one movie under his belt, albeit an immensely successful one made within a genre (horror) that’s become the most profitable of the decade?
It goes to show how few young, promising filmmakers have emerged within the Hollywood system — to the point that when one like Barker shows up, there’s a bidding war to acquire his next project.
This latest news comes as “Obsession” returns to #1 at the North American box office, with an estimated $5.25M on Wednesday — roughly the same amount it made on Discount Tuesday. Yes, it actually outgrossed “The Mandalorian and Grogu.”