The horror film “Obsession” has achieved a significant milestone by surpassing $500 million at the global box office. This makes it the first original movie of the 2020s to reach this impressive mark. Surpassing Pixar’s “Elemental,” which grossed $494.6 million globally, “Obsession” is now considered the highest-grossing original movie in the post-pandemic era.
Despite its micro-budget production of only $750,000, “Obsession” has become the highest-grossing film ever made for less than $1 million. This achievement places it ahead of the 1973 martial arts film “Enter the Dragon,” which cost $850,000 to produce and has earned $400 million over various re-releases.
Written and directed by Curry Barker, a 26-year-old filmmaker, “Obsession” premiered on May 15 and saw a rare increase in weekly grosses during its initial three weeks in theaters, a feat not seen since “E.T.” By the end of its U.S. theatrical run on Aug. 14, the film had earned $263.4 million domestically and $238.1 million internationally, bringing its total to $501.5 million and continuing to grow.
The success of “Obsession” has garnered attention globally, with a release in South Korea still pending. The film has also set a record as the highest-grossing festival acquisition in history, following its acquisition by Focus Features after debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The commercial triumph of “Obsession” has opened doors for its young cast, with lead actress Inde Navarette set to portray Rogue in an upcoming Marvel “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 success of “Obsession” has positioned Curry Barker for his next project, a horror film titled “Anything but Ghosts,” in which he will star alongside co-writer Cooper Tomlinson.