Obsession director Curry Barker rejected $2 million to rewrite Bear’s story

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So, Obsession has been a huge horror surprise this year, which is awesome! But get this – the director, Curry Barker, told me the story could have gone in a totally different direction. It’s wild to think how close we were to getting a completely different movie!

Obsession tells the story of Bear, a young man whose pursuit of a romantic relationship with his friend Nikki takes a terrifying turn. The film has quickly become popular online due to its disturbing plot, unexpected twists, and strong performances by Michael Johnston (as Bear) and Inde Navarrette (as Nikki).

So, everyone’s been loving the romance in my latest playthrough – I mean, the movie! But apparently, things could have been way different. The director, Barker, just said some studios actually offered him two million bucks to completely change a key part of the story. Can you believe that? It’s wild to think how close we were to not getting the version we all love!

Curry Barker says studios offered $2 million to rewrite Obsession

Curry Barker, the director of Obsessions, told The Hollywood Reporter that he was offered a large sum of money to rewrite the script and make the character of Bear more typical.

Barker said that while seeking buyers for the project, some companies offered him $2 million if he would simply change the script to portray Bear as the hero.

So, when they pitched me the idea, I told them straight up I wasn’t going to change the character to make him a ‘good guy.’ It’s way more compelling to me if he’s flawed – someone who really tries to fix things with his relationship, but just keeps messing up and making terrible choices. That’s where the interesting stuff happens, you know?

Honestly, the original idea for the movie just wasn’t grabbing me. It was supposed to be about Bear going on this whole quest to understand the backstory of the One Wish Willow, and it sounded super dull. I actually turned down a bigger paycheck to make the story I wanted to tell instead – something way more interesting, in my opinion.

It’s understandable why he didn’t back down. A big part of what makes ‘Obsession’ so gripping is watching Bear make worse and worse choices, building suspense that wouldn’t be there if he always made the smart decision.

The film seems to have been a worthwhile investment. “Obsession” has proven very successful, earning significant money at the box office and receiving positive reviews from both viewers and critics. However, it hasn’t been without some debate and discussion.

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2026-06-16 16:18