Obsession continues to captivate audiences worldwide, mirroring the intense fixation of its deranged protagonist. The Wrap recently disclosed that the horror sensation has officially exceeded the $500 million mark in global box office revenue, marking it as the first original film of the 2020s to achieve this milestone.
Surpassing Pixar’s Elemental, which grossed $494.6 million globally in 2023, Obsession has now claimed the title of the highest-grossing original movie in the post-pandemic era, as reported by The Express Tribune. Despite its modest budget, the film depicting a woman spiraling into violent obsession after a supernatural wish has become the most lucrative movie made for under $1 million.
With a production cost of only $750,000, Obsession has outperformed the 1973 martial arts classic Enter the Dragon, which cost $850,000 to make and earned $400 million through re-releases. Directed and written by 26-year-old Curry Barker, the film premiered on May 15 and notably experienced a steady increase in weekly box office earnings, reminiscent of E.T.’s success.
Upon concluding its U.S. theatrical run on August 14, Obsession had amassed $263.4 million domestically and an additional $238.1 million internationally, bringing its total earnings to over $501.5 million and continuing to rise, according to Box Office Mojo. The film is yet to be released in South Korea, as mentioned by The Wrap.
Following its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, Obsession became the highest-grossing festival acquisition ever when Focus Features acquired it. The film’s unprecedented financial triumph has opened doors for its young cast, with lead actress Inde Navarette landing a role in Marvel’s upcoming X-Men movie as Rogue. Lead actor Michael Johnston is reportedly in negotiations to star alongside Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in Universal’s new film, The Mummy.
Obsession’s overwhelming success has set the stage for Barker’s next venture, a horror film titled Anything but Ghosts, in which he will also star alongside co-writer Cooper Tomlinson, as per The Wrap.