‘Obsession’ Director Curry Barker Wants to Turn ‘Indiana Jones’ Into a Gloriously Twisted R-Rated Nightmare
Few filmmakers have had a year like Curry Barker’s. The 26-year-old YouTuber-turned-director made ‘Obsession’ in just 20 days on a budget of $750,000, then watched it explode into one of the biggest surprises in recent box office history. Studios entered a bidding war after its festival debut, and Focus Features ultimately acquired it for $15 million.
The payoff has been staggering. The romance-horror hybrid grossed more than $500 million worldwide, ranks among the highest-grossing horror films ever, and became Focus Features’ biggest hit. It also became the highest-grossing film ever acquired out of a festival, unseating ‘The Blair Witch Project’. With that kind of leverage, Hollywood is now asking what Barker wants to do next, and his answer may surprise fans.
In a new conversation with Gold Derby, Barker revealed that a classic adventure franchise is high on his wish list. He told Gold Derby he would love to make “a really f–ked up, rated-R version” of ‘Indiana Jones’.
The idea came up after his producing partner, Cooper Tomlinson, had previously mentioned that making a fresh Steven Spielberg-style adventure epic is one of Barker’s career goals. Barker confirmed the ambition and said he and Tomlinson have talked about a wild adventure movie in that spirit.
Barker’s pitch is less about whips and fedoras than about tone. He argues that audiences have mostly seen the family-friendly side of the genre, and he is interested in pushing its boundaries.
He floated a story about an ordinary guy who goes on a journey that spirals into something crazy. That fits the escalating dread and dark humor that made ‘Obsession’ such a conversation starter.
The idea lands at a curious moment for the franchise. ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’, directed by James Mangold, closed Harrison Ford’s run as the character, but it underperformed badly and reportedly cost Disney well over $100 million. Since then, the franchise has been mostly quiet.
The silence recently broke at San Diego Comic-Con, where Marvel announced a 5-issue comic series called ‘Indiana Jones and the Sword of Pandemonium’. It launches in December and is set directly after ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, though it is not a new movie or series.
Barker is not short on projects. His next film, ‘Anything But Ghosts’, arrives in theaters on May 7, 2027 from Focus Features and Blumhouse Atomic Monster, with Barker and Tomlinson starring as wannabe ghost hunters who find themselves in over their heads.
The movie takes place in the same universe as ‘Obsession’ and features Violet McGraw, Bryce Dallas Howard and Aaron Paul. A24 has also tapped Barker to reimagine ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’, which means his plate is already full before any whip-cracking begins.
Barker also used the interview to explain what sets his filmmaking apart. He described relying on blocking and camera movement to tell the story without cutting constantly, and said story remains the most important element for him.
The conversation comes as ‘Obsession’ enters the awards discussion, with Gold Derby describing it as an on-the-bubble Best Picture contender alongside horror hits like ‘Sinners’ and ‘Weapons’. Inde Navarrette, the film’s breakout star, is also surging in the Best Actress race after hosting ‘SNL’.
Barker has stayed busy in the meantime. He recently released a new 5-minute horror short on the YouTube channel he shares with Tomlinson, just in time for Halloween, which shows he has not abandoned his online roots.
For now, an R-rated ‘Indiana Jones’ remains a wish rather than a plan. Disney and Lucasfilm control the property, and no darker take has been announced.
Still, Barker’s track record makes him impossible to ignore. A director who turned $750,000 into a global phenomenon can usually get a call returned, and an adventure epic with real teeth would be a bold swing for a franchise that has lost some momentum.
If the studio ever came calling, the result would almost certainly be unlike anything audiences have seen from the fedora-wearing archaeologist.
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