‘Obsession’ Surpasses ‘The Blair Witch Project’ as Highest-Grossing Horror Film on Sub-$1M Budget

Horror cinema has always had a complex relationship with finances. Some of the genre’s most iconic films emerged from minimal budgets and boundless creativity, with few exemplifying this better than ‘The Blair Witch Project.’ For over twenty years, it stood as a testament to what independent filmmaking could achieve at the global box office. That long-standing record has now officially been broken.

Written and directed by Curry Barker, ‘Obsession’ follows Bear, portrayed by Michael Johnston, a music store employee who uses a peculiar novelty item called the “One Wish Willow” to wish for the love of his longtime crush, Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette.

Initially premiering at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Midnight Madness program, the indie sensation was later acquired by Focus Features for a wide theatrical release. Few could have anticipated the success that followed.

As reported by @FilmUpdates, ‘Obsession’ has now surpassed ‘The Blair Witch Project’ at the global box office, dethroning the film that held the title of the highest-grossing movie ever made on a production budget below $1 million.

The previous record holder, ‘The Blair Witch Project,’ grossed over $140 million domestically and more than $107 million internationally, all from an initial budget estimated between $35,000 and $60,000. This achievement defined an era and inspired countless low-budget filmmakers.

In contrast, ‘Obsession’ has now earned $224.8 million worldwide, including $152.1 million domestically and $72.7 million internationally, against a reported production budget of between $750,000 and $1 million. With a fourth domestic weekend total of $25.6 million and a mere 7 percent decline, ‘Obsession’ also set the record for the biggest fourth weekend ever for a horror film, surpassing the $24.3 million ‘The Blair Witch Project’ earned in its fourth weekend back in 1999.

What makes this success even more remarkable is the film’s broad appeal among both critics and audiences.

Comscore’s head of marketplace trends, Paul Dergarabedian, who has tracked the box office for over 30 years, stated to Variety that he had never witnessed a film experience a jump like ‘Obsession’ did in its second weekend, describing it as “indicative of audiences embracing the film.” ‘Obsession’ earned an A-minus CinemaScore exit poll grade and boasts a 94 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Such dual approval from critics and general audiences is exceptionally rare in the horror genre.

Barker, still in his mid-twenties and previously known for viral internet sketch comedy, has already completed filming his follow-up project, the horror-comedy ‘Anything But Ghosts,’ produced by Jason Blum and horror legend Roy Lee. Current industry projections estimate ‘Obsession’ could gross between $300 million and $400 million worldwide before its theatrical run concludes. If these projections hold true, the gap between ‘Obsession’ and ‘The Blair Witch Project’ will extend even further into unprecedented territory for micro-budget cinema.

Whether ‘Obsession’ ultimately becomes one of the most profitable films in Hollywood history or simply one of its most surprising, it has already secured its place in the record books. Share your thoughts below on whether you believe ‘Obsession’ deserves to dethrone the iconic ‘Blair Witch Project,’ or if the original still holds a special place that no box office number can surpass.