With fans still waiting until May 2027 for Curry Barker's feature film "Anything But Ghosts" to reach theaters, the writer and director behind "Obsession" has released a new short project to bridge the gap. Titled "Mama Bear," the five-minute film was written, directed, and edited by Barker himself before being made available on his That's a Bad Idea YouTube channel this Thursday morning.
The Microsoft-sponsored short stars Jon Lee Richardson as Floyd, a young man whose nap is disrupted by disturbing phone calls that rapidly alter the trajectory of his day. The cast also includes Katie Sarife, Ericka Kreuz, and Joshua Snyder in supporting roles.
This release comes during what has been described as one of the most significant breakout years for a filmmaker in recent memory. Following the acquisition of "Obsession" by Focus Features at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, the film grossed over $500 million globally this spring. Barker's momentum has led to an eight-figure deal with Universal for a mysterious original horror movie and a reboot of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" for A24. Notably, he had already completed "Anything But Ghosts," a supernatural comedy co-starring his longtime partner Cooper Tomlinson, prior to the opening of "Obsession."
Barker's trajectory was recently recognized with IndieWire's inaugural Future of Filmmaking Award at a Los Angeles summit. In a conversation with Chris O'Falt during the event, Barker reflected on how his early work creating independent shorts helped refine his voice before his major breakthrough. He noted that feedback from the comment section on his YouTube channel taught him the intelligence of the audience, allowing him to write dialogue with less exposition and greater confidence that viewers would grasp subtle nuances.
Sources: IndieWire.