Movie enthusiasts worldwide are showing a strong interest in the film “Obsession,” much like the movie’s intense and murderous girlfriend. The horror flick recently hit a significant milestone, surpassing $500 million at the global box office. This achievement makes it the first original film from the 2020s to reach this financial milestone.
“Obsession” has outperformed Pixar’s animated hit “Elemental,” which grossed $494.6 million globally in 2023, establishing itself as the highest-grossing original movie in the post-pandemic era. Notably, the low-budget film, centered on a woman spiraling into violent obsession after a man’s selfish wish, has become the most profitable movie ever made for less than $1 million, with a production budget of only $750,000.
The film, written and directed by Curry Barker at the age of 26, premiered on May 15 and experienced a rare trend of increasing weekly grosses for three consecutive weeks, a feat not seen since “E.T.” By the end of its U.S. theatrical run on August 14, “Obsession” had earned $263.4 million domestically and $238.1 million internationally, totaling over $501.5 million and counting worldwide. The movie is yet to be released in South Korea.
Moreover, Focus Features acquired “Obsession” following its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, making it the highest-grossing festival acquisition in history. The film’s exceptional commercial success has opened doors for its young cast, with lead actress Inde Navarette landing a role as Rogue in Marvel’s upcoming “X-Men” film, and lead actor Michael Johnston in talks to join the cast of Universal’s new “The Mummy” movie alongside Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.
The overwhelming success of “Obsession” has set the stage for Barker’s next project, a horror film titled “Anything but Ghosts,” in which he will also star alongside co-writer Cooper Tomlinson.