Filmmaker Curry Barker is not wasting any time. The 27-year-old director behind this year's breakout horror hit Obsession announced on September 29, 2026, that his next film, the horror-comedy Anything But Ghosts, will arrive in theatres on May 7, 2027.
Barker and his frequent collaborator Cooper Tomlinson revealed the date themselves through a comedic social media reel, promising the film would play in "theatres everywhere." The project shifts Barker into new territory: a horror-comedy rather than the dark, found-footage dread that defined his earlier work.
Barker co-wrote the script with Tomlinson, his longtime creative partner, and the two men also star in the film as co-leads, according to Variety. The supporting cast includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Aaron Paul, Violet McGraw and Chris Reinacher.
The story follows a group of fame-hungry would-be ghosthunters who bite off far more than they can handle, sending events spiraling wildly and terrifyingly out of control — that is the official logline, as reported by Variety.
A film shot before the fame
Remarkably, Anything But Ghosts was already in the can before anyone knew Barker's name. Barker and Tomlinson wrote, sold and shot the entire film before Obsession became a phenomenon, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Speaking to THR, Barker described the film as a buddy comedy that would still be "scary and messed up," while stressing it would not simply repeat his breakout: "Nobody wants the same movie twice. So people can expect it to be very different than Obsession, but my voice will still be very strong in it."
Blumhouse-Atomic Monster is among the production companies behind the film.
The 'Obsession' juggernaut
The follow-up lands amid one of the most striking box-office runs in recent memory. Obsession, released in 2025, has earned more than $519 million at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing horror film of the year so far and, per Reactor Magazine, the fifth-highest-grossing horror film of all time. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival where Netflix had initially shown interest, also drew awards-season chatter for co-star Inde Navarrette. It remains in some theatres and is streaming on Peacock.
Barker's slate beyond this is already crowded: in April he was announced to direct a "reimagining" of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for A24, and in June an original horror concept with Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Universal was confirmed to be in development.
Sources: Parade — 'Obsession' Director's Next Movie to Arrive Sooner Than You Think | Reactor Magazine — Curry Barker's Obsession Followup, Anything But Ghosts, Comes Out Next Year
Barker and his frequent collaborator Cooper Tomlinson revealed the date themselves through a comedic social media reel, promising the film would play in "theatres everywhere." The project shifts Barker into new territory: a horror-comedy rather than the dark, found-footage dread that defined his earlier work.
Barker co-wrote the script with Tomlinson, his longtime creative partner, and the two men also star in the film as co-leads, according to Variety. The supporting cast includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Aaron Paul, Violet McGraw and Chris Reinacher.
The story follows a group of fame-hungry would-be ghosthunters who bite off far more than they can handle, sending events spiraling wildly and terrifyingly out of control — that is the official logline, as reported by Variety.
A film shot before the fame
Remarkably, Anything But Ghosts was already in the can before anyone knew Barker's name. Barker and Tomlinson wrote, sold and shot the entire film before Obsession became a phenomenon, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Speaking to THR, Barker described the film as a buddy comedy that would still be "scary and messed up," while stressing it would not simply repeat his breakout: "Nobody wants the same movie twice. So people can expect it to be very different than Obsession, but my voice will still be very strong in it."
Blumhouse-Atomic Monster is among the production companies behind the film.
The 'Obsession' juggernaut
The follow-up lands amid one of the most striking box-office runs in recent memory. Obsession, released in 2025, has earned more than $519 million at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing horror film of the year so far and, per Reactor Magazine, the fifth-highest-grossing horror film of all time. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival where Netflix had initially shown interest, also drew awards-season chatter for co-star Inde Navarrette. It remains in some theatres and is streaming on Peacock.
Barker's slate beyond this is already crowded: in April he was announced to direct a "reimagining" of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for A24, and in June an original horror concept with Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Universal was confirmed to be in development.
Sources: Parade — 'Obsession' Director's Next Movie to Arrive Sooner Than You Think | Reactor Magazine — Curry Barker's Obsession Followup, Anything But Ghosts, Comes Out Next Year
