Curry Barker, the filmmaker behind breakout horror hit Obsession, is releasing a surprise Halloween short on YouTube today (29 October), with Microsoft Windows on board as a partner.
Mama Bear is scheduled to premiere free on That’s a Bad Idea, the YouTube channel Barker shares with longtime collaborator Cooper Tomlinson, at 11.30am US Eastern. The release gives audiences a new project from the director two days before Halloween.
Written, directed and edited by Barker, the short stars Jon Lee Richardson, Katie Sarife, Ericka Kreuz and Joshua Snyder. It also reunites him with Obsession production designer Vivian Gray. Story details have been kept under wraps ahead of the premiere.
Windows has promoted the project through its social channels, although the announcement leaves open how the partnership will feature in the finished film. Its involvement adds a branded entertainment dimension to a release already likely to attract attention from Barker’s horror audience.
Barker’s return to YouTube follows an exceptional theatrical breakthrough. Released by Focus Features, Obsession generated more than $500 million worldwide against a reported production budget of less than $1 million. His next feature, horror-comedy Anything But Ghosts, is scheduled for release through Focus on 7 May 2027.
His audience-building began online, with projects including viral horror short The Chair and the independently produced feature Milk & Serial, which was released free on That’s a Bad Idea in 2024. Mama Bear extends that digital output as his studio career gathers pace.
The release also comes during a strong period for horror filmmakers emerging from YouTube. Kane Parsons’ Backrooms and Markiplier’s Iron Lung have both reached cinemas this year, joining Barker’s Obsession in demonstrating the theatrical potential of talent associated with the platform.
