Barker's 'Mama Bear' Grosses $500 Million Following 'Obsession' Run

Curry Barker released a new five-minute horror short titled Mama Bear on Thursday, returning to the YouTube format that launched his career.

The film is sponsored by Windows and was written, directed, and edited by Barker. It debuted on the That’s a Bad Idea channel, a sketch comedy series he co-runs with Cooper Tomlinson. The plot follows a character named Floyd, played by Jon Lee Richardson, who suffers through disturbing phone calls during a nap. The story reveals that Floyd has a doppelgänger, a twist that leads to a tragic ending involving his love interest, Lacey.

Costume designer Blair James noted that the production moved at a fast pace. She stated that the team shot the material three and a half weeks prior to its release. James described the quick turnaround as a rush, explaining that she prefers the variety of short projects over the repetitive nature of back-to-back feature films. She emphasized that Barker trusts her creative decisions, a dynamic that made the collaboration effective for her.

The short reuniting Barker with key members of his previous crew, including production designer Vivian Gray and James. The visual style of Mama Bear mirrors the aesthetic of Barker’s recent feature film Obsession. Specifically, the short includes a shot of a figure in a dark corner, which parallels a scene in Obsession where the character Nikki watches Bear sleep.

Barker’s return to short-form content comes as Obsession continues to perform well at the box office. Released on May 15, the film was produced for a reported $750,000 and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide. The movie recently earned a nomination for the Gotham Audience Award.

Before Obsession, Barker built his reputation on YouTube with projects such as The Chair, Heavy Eyes, and Enigma. The 2023 short The Chair attracted the attention of producer James Harris, who helped facilitate Barker’s move into feature filmmaking. Barker is currently preparing for his next feature, Anything But Ghosts, which is scheduled for theatrical release on May 7, 2027. He will direct, edit, and co-write that film alongside Tomlinson. Barker is also set to write and direct a reimagining of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

The release of Mama Bear serves as a pre-Halloween offering for audiences. It marks a strategic pause in Barker’s feature schedule, allowing him to engage with the platform where he first gained a following.