Curry Barker’s Next Horror Movie Lands a Major New Deal With Universal and Blumhouse Atomic Monster

Curry Barker has quickly become one of horror’s most sought after names, and the industry chatter around his next move has only grown louder over the past few weeks. Reports indicated that his next directing assignment had turned into one of the hottest packages in town, with multiple studios reportedly circling the filmmaker following the breakout success of his debut feature.

That breakout film, ‘Obsession,’ has already topped $297 million worldwide and remains on a steady box office hot streak. Barker is also deep into post production on ‘Anything But Ghosts,’ a supernatural horror feature he wrote, directed, and stars in alongside Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Violet McGraw.

Universal has now made its move, closing what is described as a rich eight figure deal for Barker to write, direct, and produce a brand new original horror feature for the studio. The project marks his third collaboration with Blumhouse Atomic Monster, with James Wan and Jason Blum attached as producers alongside Universal Film Group.

Barker sounded thrilled about the reunion. “This film is something I’ve been excited to make for a while,” Barker told The Hollywood Reporter, adding that the team has built the kind of home for bold original storytelling every filmmaker dreams of and that he could not imagine better collaborators for the project.

NBCUniversal Entertainment chairman Donna Langley praised Barker’s exceptional ability to tap into the cultural zeitgeist, pointing to his instinct for what resonates with audiences paired with genuine filmmaking prowess. Wan and Blum echoed that sentiment in a joint statement, noting that with ‘Obsession’ Barker achieved something only a handful of filmmakers manage in a generation by making an original story that connected with a massive audience.

Additional producing credits include Roy Lee and Steven Schneider’s Spooky Pictures along with Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath’s Divide/Conquer, the banner behind horror hits like ‘The Black Phone’ and ‘Heart Eyes.’ Plot details for the new film are being kept tightly under wraps, though the project reportedly grew out of an original pitch Barker brought directly to Universal’s top brass.

The deal further cements Barker’s place as one of horror’s busiest and most in demand filmmakers, as he remains attached to write and direct A24’s upcoming reimagining of ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.’ That adds yet another high profile title to an already stacked resume heading into the back half of the year.

With Universal, Blumhouse Atomic Monster, and a fresh eight figure payday all in his corner, Barker’s horror empire shows no signs of slowing down. What kind of original nightmare do you think Curry Barker is cooking up for his next Universal feature.