Clearly, filmmaking runs in the Barker family — especially when it comes to horror.
Jeff Barker, a screenwriter who is also the father of Obsession director Curry Barker, is set to write and direct his own psychological horror short film, Medium Rare, starring Dane Cook and Lesley Ann Warren. The film follows a man trapped inside a bar, where reality begins to unravel in increasingly disturbing ways. Production is expected to begin in Los Angeles later this summer.
Barker is no stranger to the horror world. He served as a script consultant on Obsession, the breakout hit written and directed by his 26-year-old son on a $750,000 budget, and penned the Hansel & Gretel monologue delivered by Inde Navarrette’s Nikki during the film’s infamous party scene. He also hosts The Screenplay Lab podcast, where he analyzes the craft of screenwriting. Following the success of Obsession, Barker is currently developing multiple horror projects, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
“Medium Rare is a short story I wrote eight years ago. I’m honored by the team of people helping me bring this project to life,” Barker said in a statement.
Short films are a tried and true launching pad for horror directors. Curry Barker‘s short The Chair caught the attention of producer James Harris, who then helped develop Obsession into a feature.
Cook stars in the lead role in Medium Rare. The comedian rose to fame in the mid-2000s with multi-platinum comedy albums, including Retaliation, and has appeared in films such as Good Luck Chuck, Employee of the Month and My Best Friend’s Girl.
Warren, meanwhile, earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Victor/Victoria (1982) and is also known for Clue (1985), the television film Cinderella (1965) and series including Will & Grace and Desperate Housewives. Additional casting has yet to be announced.
Medium Rare is produced by Jacob Yakob, Mehrodod Heydari of LD Entertainment, Alex Bretow and Kourosh Ahari of Mammoth Pictures, Lee Roy Kunz of World’s Fair Pictures and Chuck Shaughnessy. Cook is represented by CAA, Management Production Entertainment and Jackoway Austen.
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