‘Obsession’ smashes expectations with historic $200M milestone

The independent horror sensation Obsession has officially crossed the $200 million mark at the global box office, cementing its status as the most successful film in Focus Features’ history.

Directed by filmmaker and former YouTube creator Curry Barker, the breakout horror hit has emerged as one of the year’s biggest success stories. 

Produced on a reported budget of just $750,000 and featuring a largely unknown cast, the film has dramatically exceeded expectations since its theatrical debut.

Its latest milestone comes as Obsession continues to demonstrate remarkable staying power at the box office. 

In its fourth weekend, the film declined by only seven percent, earning $25.6 million and setting a new record for the strongest fourth-weekend performance ever recorded by a horror movie.

The achievement surpasses the previous benchmark established by The Blair Witch Project, which fell nine percent in its fourth weekend in 1999 while earning $24.2 million.

Obsession had already secured a place in box office history after becoming the first film since Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982 to increase its earnings in both its second and third weekends.

The film was acquired by Focus Features at the Toronto International Film Festival in a deal reportedly worth around $15 million, a decision that has now proven exceptionally lucrative for the studio.

Barker’s rapid rise has transformed him into one of Hollywood’s most sought-after filmmakers. 

His next feature, Anything But Ghosts, has already been completed for Focus Features, while he has also been tapped to direct A24’s upcoming The Texas Chainsaw Massacre project.

Industry interest in Barker continues to grow. According to reports, one studio recently attempted to secure his next original project with a $10 million offer before seeing a script or formal proposal.

However, sources indicate that Blumhouse-Atomic Monster maintains a first-look agreement with Universal and holds the right of first negotiations on Barker’s future film projects.

While details regarding Barker’s next original feature remain under wraps, his success has further fueled conversations about horror’s growing influence on the film industry.

Horror filmmaker James Wan, whose credits include Saw, The Conjuring, and Insidious, recently pointed to the success of projects such as Obsession and Backrooms as evidence of the genre’s enduring importance.

“The horror genre keeps saving our industry,” Wan said during an appearance at the Produced By Conference at Universal Studios.