Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights to “Obsession,” Curry Barker’s debut horror film, which premiered in the midnight section of the Toronto International Film Festival and later played Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. It will be released in 2026.
Universal Pictures International will handle international distribution.
The official synopsis for the movie, which was warmly reviewed in Toronto and Austin, 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 cast includes Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless and Andy Richter.
Producers include James Harris (Tea Shop Productions), Haley Nicole Johnson (Under the Shell) and Christian Mercuri on behalf of Capstone Pictures. Capstone represented international rights and fully financed the project. CAA Media Finance co-repped domestic rights with Capstone.
Focus Features’ upcoming slate includes Chloé Zhao’s potential awards-darling “Hamnet,” starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley; Yorgos Lanthimos’ off-the-wall thriller “Bugonia,” starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons; and “Song Sung Blue,” a based-on-a-true-story musical starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.
Barker is represented by UTA, Underground and Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman, Rubenstein Kohner, Endlich, Goodell & Gellman. Johnston is represented by Tash Moseley Management. Navarrette is represented by CAA. Tomlinson is represented by Canopy Media Partners, Paradigm and Yorn Levine. Richter is represented by Gersh, Brillstein and Matt Wallerstein.
