Steven Spielberg has warned Curry Barker and Kane Parsons not to “let success go to your heads.”
Young Director’s Success
The iconic filmmaker has offered some advice to two of Hollywood’s most in-demand directors. They are former YouTubers Barker, 26, and Parsons, 20. The pair have stormed the box office with Obsession and Backrooms, respectively.
When asked what advice he would give them, Spielberg, who was in his 20s when he helmed Jaws in 1975, told The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, “Don’t let success go to your heads. Do not let wild success go to your heads, because when you make your next movie, you’re starting from scratch.”
The two horror movies have taken the global box office by storm. Obsession has already grossed $238.7 million globally from a $750,000 budget since its May 15 release.
Meanwhile, Backrooms was released on May 29 and has grossed $220.6 million on a $10 million budget.
Spielberg’s Advice
Spielberg knows the feeling of such huge success at a young age. He also knows the best approach to building on that.
He explained, “It’s always good to have a big hit to shore up your reputation, and you’re going to get a lot of respect from executives, from the film world and from the studios.”
“But the advice I’d give them is something I had to learn the hard way: We all start over again.”
“And if you get the chance to make 20 or 30 films in your career, you will discover, maybe on your second or third film, that you’re beginning your career all over again at the outset of every single project.”
In a recent red carpet interview at the Disclosure Day premiere, Spielberg revealed he has already seen Obsession, and “loved it.”
Director Curry Barker was shown the clip on the Today show, and admitted, “I can’t believe it.”
Jason Blum’s Praise
Horror pioneer Jason Blum has also praised the work of content creators Barker and Parsons.
Blum spoke recently at the Produced by Conference on the Universal Lot in Los Angeles. He said, “Since COVID, there’s been this lethargic feeling around theatrical, and is it relevant anymore and is it going to survive?”
“And what I think is so incredible about Obsession and Backrooms is that they’re a new kind of movie. They’re made by non-traditional directors, directors who really honed their skills as creators online. Their hope and desire and dream is to make cool movies. Backrooms and Obsession are edgy and weird and f****** nuts.”
“And to me, there’s almost this feeling of the ’70s, of a new generation of young people making edgy movies that are connecting in theaters in a crazy way.”
“So many young people grew up in a time when they couldn’t go to the movies, and they haven’t had something made for them that gets them off their iPad and into theaters. Suddenly they have two movies.”