Last week, the 26-year-old writer-director ofObsessionwas told he was going to a routine meeting at theFocus Featuresoffices in Universal City. Instead, he arrived at the production company to find himself facing 250 employees — all holding glasses of champagne.

Barker thought — for perhaps the hundredth time in recent weeks:Holy shit.

Focus Chairman Peter Kujawski declared, “Congratulations on the biggest movie Focus has ever had!” The employees burst into applause and toasted Barker’s success.

Then Kujawski held out a box. “In the music business, they hand out gold records,” Kujawski said. “We don’t do that. So here’s this.”

Inside the box was, of course, a One Wish Willow — the spell-casting prop from Barker’s hit film. Only this willow was in a glass case … and gold.

It was a fitting gift for a young filmmaker from Alabama who, during his film’s pre-release marketing tour, had snapped a One Wish Willow toy as part of a press stunt. “I wish forObsessionto be a huge hit at the box office,” Barker declared at the time.

Then, like a character in his own story, Barker’s wish was fulfilled to an almost supernaturally sarcastic extent: His movie shot for just $750,000 has toppled one box office record after another on its gravity-defying trek toward $300 million globally. Almost overnight, Barker became the hottest young horror director in the industry (he has already shot his follow-up,Anything But Ghosts, and has signed to write and direct an A24 reboot ofTexas Chainsaw Massacre). One companyeven offeredBarker $10 million for literally whatever idea he wants to pitch next.

“It is like when The Wish gives you more than you bargained for,” agrees Barker, who got his start by posting sketch comedy and horror shorts online while working in a coffee shop. Producer James Harris took a chance on hisObsessionscript, then Focus picked up the project at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

Below, in his first-ever cover story interview, Barker gets candid about what the last month has really been like for the Gen Z filmmaker. From those tumbling box office records, to being overwhelmed with career options, to suddenly having famous friends, Barker lets us live vicariously through his Hollywood dream come true.

First, I want to walk you through the wild ride you’ve been on sinceObsessionwas released. The film was initially projected to open at $8 million to $10 million, which seems funny now. What was your reaction when you heard that?

Source: Drudge Report