Obsession has passed yet another major milestone at the box office. Curry Barker’s low-budget sensation has been on a tear since it hit theaters in May and, despite now being available to watch at home, audiences have continued to turn up and buy tickets. Now, the movie has officially crossed the $400 million mark globally. That’s something very few horror movies of any kind have ever done.
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Over the Fourth of July weekend, the Focus Features release added $5.3 million domestically and a very impressive $12 million internationally. That gives it a running total of $245.3 million domestically to go with $157.7 million overseas for a grand, running total of $403 million worldwide. Given that the movie is on its eighth weekend of release and still doing numbers, it’s even more impressive.
The movie centers on a hopeless romantic who breaks a mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart. The wish is granted but he quickly discovers that his desires come at a major cost. Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter star.
Just to illustrate just how crazy this milestone is, Barker’s movie has now made more than much-discussed hits such as Ryan Coogler’s Sinners ($371 million worldwide), Five Nights at Freddy’s ($297 million) and The Housemaid ($400 million). It’s also done all of this as Kane Parsons’ Backrooms has become a sensation in its own right, crossing the $350 million mark over the weekend. Its total now stands at $355.9 million and counting. Both movies are leading the charge in this new wave of YouTubers invading mainstream Hollywood.
Obsession is undoubtedly the surprise box office story of 2026. Barker made the movie for less than $1 million and, after its festival premiere, Focus bought the rights for $14 million. To say that proved to be a wise investment would be an understatement. This is now going to join the likes of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity as one of the most profitable movies ever made. Since it’s still doing business overseas, $450 million is well within sight, if not more when all’s said and done.
Looking ahead, this upcoming weekend sees the release of the much-anticipated Evil Dead Burn, which is featured on the subscriber cover of FANGORIA #32. It’s going up against Disney’s live-action Moana. Horror (along with the rest of Hollywood) is then steering clear of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey on July 17.
Obsession is in theaters and on VOD now.
