‘Obsession’ Director Curry Barker Wants To Make an R-Rated ‘Indiana Jones'

Curry Barker has gone from YouTube creator to one of Hollywood’s most sought-after horror filmmakers in record time. The 26-year-old’s breakout film, ‘Obsession’, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025 before Focus Features acquired it and released it in theaters in May.

The film turned out to be a phenomenon. Made for less than $1 million, according to The A.V. Club, ‘Obsession’ has grossed over $500 million globally after a monster summer run, Gold Derby reports.

With that kind of success, Barker is already thinking about what’s next, and one of his dream projects is a surprise. “I would want to do a really f–ked up, rated-R version of [Indiana Jones],” Barker told Gold Derby.

Barker said he wants to make a crazy adventure movie. He explained that audiences have mostly only seen the family-friendly version of that kind of genre film and have never really seen something like what he has in mind.

Barker said he and his producing partner, Cooper Tomlinson, have discussed the idea. He added that he would want to push the boundaries of the adventure genre if he ever got the chance.

Tomlinson also appears in ‘Obsession’, which stars Michael Johnston as Bear and Inde Navarrette as Nikki. The cast also includes Megan Lawless and Andy Richter. Part of the film’s appeal is Barker’s approach to filmmaking. He told Gold Derby that story is the most important thing to him, and that he uses blocking and camera movement to tell the story without relying on frequent cuts.

He also said he wouldn’t let anyone else direct the film, calling the script his baby. Barker cited Ari Aster and Kiyoshi Kurosawa as influences, praising Aster as a master of “show, don’t tell.”

Barker’s rise began online. After failing to find distribution, he released his found-footage feature ‘Milk and Serial’ on YouTube in 2024, and its fan reception helped him secure independent funding for ‘Obsession’, according to The A.V. Club.

You wished for this. Official trailer for OBSESSION, only in theaters May 15. Text 724-876-4554 🖤 https://t.co/rNfs9wfwml
— Obsession (@obsessionmovie) March 11, 2026

Since then, studios have lined up to work with him. His next film, ‘Anything But Ghosts’, was made with Focus Features, and Universal reportedly gave him an 8-figure deal for a third, untitled horror film with Blumhouse and Atomic Monster.

Barker is also reportedly attached to direct a new ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ for A24. It is unclear how that project fits into his schedule. ‘Obsession’ is also making noise during awards season. Gold Derby describes the film as an on-the-bubble Best Picture contender, following last year’s genre hits ‘Sinners’ and ‘Weapons’.

Navarrette is gaining momentum in the Best Actress race after hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’ on Halloween. Barker’s new short, ‘Mama Bear’, is also tied to the film’s Oscar strategy. For now, Barker’s ‘Indiana Jones’ idea is just that, an idea he and Tomlinson have talked about. There’s no indication that a project is in development.

Still, after the massive success of ‘Obsession’, Barker has the kind of momentum that makes ambitious pitches worth taking seriously. Whether he ever gets to make his dark take on the adventure genre, his next projects will be closely watched.