Even with the likes of Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three lingering in the coming months, the most talked-about movie in 2026 is absolutely Curry Barker’s Obsession. After its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, the film finally debuted this past May, not only arriving to critical acclaim but also box-office success that was essentially unheard of for an independent movie and a first-time filmmaker. Not only did the film gross over $500 million globally on a budget of less than $1 million, but it also created a pop culture phenomenon with its “One Wish Willow” (making its way to Fortnite soon) and the terrifying performance of Inde Navarrette as Nikki (already roaming the streets as a character at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights).
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As a result of the success of the film, Barker has naturally become an in-demand filmmaker. Though he became a household name overnight with the film, he was already hard at work on his next movie, the upcoming Anything but Ghosts, which is already in the can thanks to Blumhouse and Focus Features. There are some details about the upcoming movie that have made their way out into the world beforehand, but the latest update on the film might mean a first look isn’t too far behind. Today, Focus Features launched the official Instagram page for Anything but Ghosts. UPDATE: The just-launched Anything but Ghosts social media accounts have confirmed the film will be released on May 7, 2027.
Curry Barker’s Anything but Ghosts Teases Its Arrival
Barker not only acts as director for the upcoming Anything but Ghosts, but also co-wrote the film with creative partner Cooper Tomlinson (Ian from Obsession). Furthermore, the pair also star in the movie, leading a cast that also includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Aaron Paul, and Violet McGraw. In the film, Barker and Tomlinson play ghost hunters who fake their findings, only to run afoul of actual entities. Tomlinson previously teased that the film is “like if Key and Peele walked into Hereditary,” noting that the film is not only a comedy but maintains pretty consistent scares.
One of the most distinct details about Anything but Ghosts that Curry has already confirmed, though, is one that fans may have forgotten about amid Obsession fever. At one point, Barker confirmed to an Obsession audience at a Q&A that the ending of his breakout hit will be addressed in an Easter egg in Anything but Ghosts, teasing, “There’s like a news article thing on the next movie where you hear a news anchor talking about a triple homicide [by] a woman.”
To that end, Barker is clearly seeding a full cinematic horror universe with these films, creating a web of stories that all take place in the same world even if they’re not about the same characters. In addition to Obsession and Anything but Ghosts, this will no doubt continue in whatever the sequel to Barker’s first movie becomes down the road, though there’s still nothing quite concrete about it just yet.
The fact that Focus Features already launched the social media profile for Anything But Ghosts certainly makes it seem like they’re preparing for the promotional cycle to begin at some point. Whether that means this Halloween or early next year remains to be seen, but the hype for this movie will be really high when we finally get a first look.
