OBSESSION: Focus Features Snaps Up Buzzy Feature Debut From MILK & SERIAL’s Curry Barker
The "Monkey's Paw"-inspired horror has been a hit on the festival scene.
Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights to Obsession, the buzzy feature debut from Curry Barker, the filmmaker behind last year's viral found-footage short Milk & Serial.
Starring Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless and Andy Richter, Obsession, which has screened at Toronto International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest and will also screen for fans at the inaugural FocusFest, was apparently inspired by an episode of The Simpsons where “Bart gets a monkey paw and causes a bunch of chaos.” An official logline reads:
After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
The careful-what-you-wish-for horror was reportedly acquired for $14 million. James Harris (Teashop Productions), Haley Nicole Johnson (Under the Shell) and Christian Mercuri on behalf of Capstone Pictures produce Obsession, with Focus Features eyeing a theatrical release for 2026. Universal Pictures International is set to handle overseas distribution for Obsession in all territories except France, New Zealand and Russia.
Shot for just $800, Barker's Milk & Serial, which follows the fallout of a surprise birthday prank gone wrong, has amassed more than 2 million views since it was uploaded to YouTube in 2024. Barker's second upcoming feature, Anything But Ghosts, was recently snapped up for production by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum and Spooky Pictures’ Roy Lee and Steven Schneider (Late Night with the Devil, Strange Darling), proving that Barker is one of the hottest names in horror right now, and one to watch.
Look out for more on Obsession as we get it.