‘Obsession’ Set to Make Horror History with Remarkable Box Office Success

‘Obsession‘ is on the verge of achieving a remarkable milestone in horror movie history, poised to become the sixth highest-grossing horror film ever at the domestic box office. This is particularly astonishing considering it was created for just $750,000 by a first-time theatrical filmmaker who initially gained fame on YouTube.

Currently, the film’s domestic total is around $227 million, putting it within reach of the all-time record for an original horror movie, held by last year’s ‘Sinners’ at $370.2 million worldwide. Analysts predict that ‘Obsession’ could surpass this figure before its theatrical run concludes, potentially making it the highest-grossing original horror film in cinema history.

Written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker, the film tells the story of Bear, a music store employee who breaks a supernatural toy called the One Wish Willow to win over his crush, Nikki. However, he soon discovers that getting exactly what he wished for comes with terrifying consequences. The film’s straightforward premise and its widely praised execution have resulted in audiences returning for repeat viewings week after week.

In its fourth weekend, the film grossed $25.6 million, marking only a 7% decline from the previous weekend, which is the best fourth-weekend hold ever recorded for a horror film, surpassing the 1999 record set by ‘The Blair Witch Project.’ Earlier in its run, it also became the first film since ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’ in 1982 to see increases in both its second and third weekends, a statistical rarity that surprised even seasoned box office analysts.

Jason Blum, who came on board as an executive producer through Blumhouse Productions following the film’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, credited its success to a new generation of moviegoers with a distinct taste for unconventional horror, describing it as “a real new growth area” for the theatrical business.

Focus Features distributed the film domestically after acquiring worldwide rights at TIFF for about $15 million, the highest price ever paid for a genre film at that festival. Notably, 30% of its audience is between 18 and 25 years old, with many tickets sold to repeat viewers, especially in Los Angeles.

The film has received a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences, along with an A- CinemaScore, making it one of the few horror releases in recent years to achieve such dual acclaim. In a summer filled with franchise blockbusters boasting nine-figure budgets, a $750,000 film by a YouTube director nearing all-time genre records is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary stories at the box office this year.

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