Obsession director Curry Barker responds to art director wage controversy

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Sally Choi, the art director for the hit horror film Obsession, recently expressed concerns about her compensation. Now, the film’s director, Curry Barker, is responding, praising the art department’s exceptional work on the movie.

The horror film Obsession has become a surprising success this year, earning close to $300 million despite being made with a very small budget of only $750,000.

The movie centers around Bear, a music store worker played by Michael Johnston, who wishes his friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette, known from Twitch) would fall for him—and it actually happens! However, this dream quickly becomes a terrifying and disturbing experience.

Curry Barker achieved his lifelong ambitions through dedication and hard work, and is now a successful filmmaker. However, recent concerns about payments to his crew have surfaced, and he has responded to those issues.

Curry Barker believes Obsession crew “deserve to be recognized”

The movie Obsession was released on May 15, 2026. Shortly after, on June 4th, Sally Choi – one of the film’s art directors – posted something on Instagram that sparked some discussion.

I’ve thought about this a lot,” Choi explained. “I’ve been carrying this on my mind for the past two years, ever since we made Obsession, so I’m just going to be honest about it.”

Obssn cost $750,000 to create and is expected to generate $250 million in revenue. As Art Director, I earned $300 per day, totaling $6,741.36 after taxes.

The post sparked a discussion about whether film crew members deserve extra compensation if a movie becomes a huge success, or if they should accept the salary they originally agreed to and instead concentrate on potential future opportunities that might come from the film’s popularity.

Barker shared with The Hollywood Reporter that he has immense respect for the film’s art department and believes their work was exceptional. He emphasized how dedicated everyone involved in the movie was, and feels they all deserve recognition.

Because this film had such a low budget, it’s not surprising that those who took a chance on it are the ones reaping the financial rewards.

I truly hope all the talented people who poured their effort into this movie get a big boost in their careers, and experience the same kind of financial success I’m currently enjoying.

Later in the interview, Chris Barker talked more about how amazing this new situation is for him. He basically said he finally feels free to pursue his true vision! For years, he’s been stuck having to constantly brainstorm ideas and sell them, knowing if they didn’t land, he’d be back to square one. But now, people were actually asking him what kind of movie he’d make if there were no limits. He even admitted being a little stunned – it was like, ‘Wow, I need a moment to even process that!’

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2026-06-16 12:19