Obsession came out of nowhere this year and basically kicked the door off its hinges. Curry Barker’s twisted horror movie cost around $750,000 to make, shattered box office expectations to become Focus Features’ highest-grossing film ever and currently sits at 93% with critics and 94% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. I already considered the YouTuber-turned-filmmaker one of the most exciting new horror filmmakers working right now. Then Seth Rogen had to go and raise my expectations for his next movie into dangerous territory due to his major claims.Rogen wrote Barker’s entry for the 2026 TIME100 Next list, where he recalled finally seeing Obsession after the hype had already become difficult to ignore. Six weeks into its theatrical run, Rogen said his Tuesday-night screening was still sold out, with an audience “laugh-screaming” its way through the movie. Apparently, that experience was enough to turn him into a Barker believer. More importantly, Rogen has already seen Anything But Ghosts, and he didn’t exactly temper expectations:I’ve seen Curry’s next film, Anything But Ghosts—and for those of you who, like me, are uncomfortable with this amount of talent in a person so young, I have bad news ... it’s even better, and, to add insult to injury, he’s just as good an actor as he is a director.Excuse me? Calling Anything But Ghosts “even better” would already be enough to get my attention. Rogen then casually throws in that the filmmaker behind the surprise horror hit is apparently just as impressive in front of the camera. I am uncomfortable now, Mr. Rogen. Mission accomplished.Part of what made Obsession such a blast was how confident Barker was in his vision. The young director took the fairly simple idea of a guy using a magical object (after partially being inspired by The Simpsons) to make his crush love him and kept twisting the wish until it became increasingly grotesque. The movie also knew exactly when to be funny without losing any bite.Rogen apparently noticed the same thing, praising Barker's “cinematic intuition” and calling the film technically impressive, beautifully performed and expertly written. Coming from somebody who has spent years writing, directing and producing his own movies and TV shows, that endorsement carries some weight. Thankfully, we do know a little about what Barker is doing next.(Image credit: Focus Features)Anything But Ghosts follows wannabe ghost hunters who make a living conning people with fake paranormal activity until they stumble into something very real. Barker co-wrote the movie with longtime collaborator Cooper Tomlinson, and the two also star alongside Violet McGraw, Chris Reinacher, Bryce Dallas Howard and Aaron Paul. Focus Features has already set the movie for May 7, 2027. Barker has said the premise naturally pushes this one further into comedy than Obsession (which is streamable with a Peacock subscription). He described the leads as con artists who know how to make tables shake and lights flicker before they encounter an actual dangerous entity. That sounds extremely up my alley.There is even a tiny connection between the movies (aside from their director, of course). Barker previously revealed that Anything But Ghosts exists in the same universe as Obsession, with a news report referencing the aftermath of his first film. So, apparently, we are getting the beginnings of the Curry Barker Horror Cinematic Universe before the guy has even had time to get comfortable.After Obsession, I was already going to see Anything But Ghosts. However, Rogen’s endorsement and declaration that it is somehow up-and-comer Curry Bark'ers next movie has changed the appointment from “probably opening weekend” to “leave me alone, I have plans.”The 2027 movie schedule suddenly feels very far away, but I'm more than willing to wait. In the meantime, read up on other upcoming horror movies.