EXCLUSIVE: Sources are telling us that Focus Features is in exclusive talks on the first big buy at the Toronto Film Festival with the Midnight Madness horror movie, Obsession from YouTube sensation Curry Barker. Details of the deal are still early for the CAA Media Finance repped title, but we’re hearing that the deal will be upwards of $15M for what’s expected to be U.S. and a component of international. Capstone is handling international sales. We’ll let you know when this is closed.
The movie stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette in a story about a hopeless romantic who makes a wish that his long-time crush falls in love with him. A sinister enchantment ensues. James Harris is the producer. Barker wrote, directed and starred in the 2024 horror movie Milk & Serial for a reported $800, and dropped it on YouTube where it racked up 2 million views in the last year. Obsession is being billed as his feature directorial debut. The movie made its world premiere on Friday at 11:59PM at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
While NEON and A24 have arguably been prominent in the specialty horror space, Focus Features planted a massive flag back at Christmas with Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu which became the label’s third highest grossing movie at the global box office with $182M.
Curry is repped by UTA, Underground and Yorn, Levine & Barnes.