Two con artists who fake paranormal investigations are about to find out what happens when the paranormal stops playing along. "Anything But Ghosts," the latest feature from writer-director Curry Barker, has locked in a May 2027 release, and it's bringing a genuinely unhinged premise along for the ride.
The Hollywood production stars Barker himself as Mouse and Cooper Tomlinson as Eddy, a pair of grifters running a bogus ghost-hunting operation. Business, presumably, is good - right up until the moment they cross paths with an actual dark entity and their little hustle turns into a full-blown nightmare. The film blends horror and comedy, a combination that suggests audiences should expect to laugh uncomfortably right before they jump out of their seats.
A Genre Mashup With Serious Star Power
Barker and Tomlinson anchor the project, but the supporting cast is anything but low-budget. Bryce Dallas Howard and Aaron Paul - yes, that Bryce Dallas Howard and that Aaron Paul - are both on board, lending some serious Hollywood weight to what could have otherwise been a scrappy indie horror-comedy. Violet McGraw, Matty Finochio (credited as Scoot), Chris Reinacher, and Kristina Matisic (as a News Reporter) round out the ensemble.
That's a notably stacked lineup for a filmmaker like Barker, whose reputation has been building steadily on the strength of his ability to wring maximum tension out of minimal resources. Pairing that sensibility with recognizable names suggests "Anything But Ghosts" is aiming for something bigger than a cult curio - though a cult curio is exactly the kind of thing this premise tends to produce.
The Director's Chair
Barker pulls double duty here, writing and directing in addition to starring as Mouse. It's a workload that has become something of a signature for him, and it's one that tends to produce a particular kind of movie: tightly controlled, slightly off-kilter, and deeply committed to its own weird logic.
The con-artist-meets-real-monster setup is a classic engine for horror-comedy. The genre has always thrived on characters who think they're smarter than the situation they're in, and few characters are more satisfyingly overconfident than a pair of frauds who have spent years convincing other people that ghosts aren't real. When the script flips and the frauds become the believers, the movie gets to have it both ways - laughs first, screams second.
Fans of Barker's previous work will likely recognize the tonal tightrope he's walking. The question is whether the addition of A-listers like Howard and Paul signals a broader commercial play or simply a filmmaker with good taste cashing in some favors.
What We Still Don't Know
Plenty, as it happens. The runtime remains under wraps, and specific plot details beyond the core premise are being kept quiet. There's also no word yet on exactly how the dark entity factors into the story - whether it's a slow-burn presence that builds dread across the whole film or a late-act reveal that upends everything the con artists thought they understood. Smart money says the marketing will keep that particular card face-down as long as possible.
The May 2027 slot gives the production a comfortable runway. That's plenty of time for post-production work on whatever creature or entity the film is cooking up, and it positions "Anything But Ghosts" for a warm-weather launch - an interesting choice for a horror title, which often favors the fall corridor around Halloween. A spring release can work in the genre's favor, though, especially for a movie with comedy in its DNA. It signals confidence that the film can stand on its own rather than hiding behind seasonal horror traffic.
Why It's Worth Watching
The fake-ghost-hunter premise has real teeth because it comes loaded with built-in irony. Paranormal investigation has become a genuine pop-culture industry, full of shows and personalities that blur the line between entertainment and belief. A movie about two people exploiting that industry - and then getting dragged into something real - is tapping into a vein that audiences already find irresistible.
Add Barker's growing reputation, Tomlinson's comedic instincts, and a cast that includes two of the more interesting actors working in Hollywood, and "Anything But Ghosts" has the ingredients to be one of 2027's more pleasant surprises. Or one of its more unpleasant ones, depending on how the third act goes. Either way, we'll be watching - nervously, and probably through our fingers.
Mark your calendars for May 2027. The con is on, right up until it isn't.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
