Jeff Barker’s 'Medium Rare' brings Dane Cook into chilling horror territory

Filmmaker and screenwriter Jeff Barker is set to write and direct the upcoming psychological horror short Medium Rare, starring Dane Cook and Oscar-nominated actress Lesley Ann Warren.

The project is expected to begin filming in Los Angeles later this summer.

The horror short follows a man trapped inside a bar as his sense of reality begins to collapse in increasingly disturbing ways. The film marks Barker’s latest entry into the horror genre, following his involvement as a script consultant on Obsession, the breakout horror feature directed by his son Curry Barker.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jeff Barker has been developing several horror projects following the success of Obsession, which gained attention after being made on a reported $750,000 budget. Curry Barker’s previous short film The Chair helped attract interest from producer James Harris and eventually led to the development of Obsession.

“Medium Rare is a short story I wrote eight years ago. I’m honoured by the team of people helping me bring this project to life,” Jeff Barker said in a statement.

Dane Cook will lead the cast as the film’s main character. The comedian and actor became widely recognised in the 2000s through successful comedy albums, including Retaliation, and later appeared in films such as Good Luck Chuck, Employee of the Month and My Best Friend’s Girl.

Lesley Ann Warren joins the project following a celebrated career that includes an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for Victor/Victoria. She is also known for roles in Clue, Cinderella and television series including Will & Grace and Desperate Housewives.

Medium Rare is produced by Jacob Yakob, Mehrodod Heydari of LD Entertainment, Alex Bretow, Kourosh Ahari of Mammoth Pictures, Lee Roy Kunz and Chuck Shaughnessy. Additional casting details have not yet been announced.