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4h ago

Obsession Becomes Focus Features’ Biggest Release After $234.5M Box‑Office Run

Its sustained ticket sales forced Focus and Universal to delay PVOD and extend the theatrical window, a move that is reshaping how studios handle viral, low‑budget horror.

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Overview

  • The film, which opened May 15, has earned about $234.5 million worldwide and set multiple horror records, including an unusually strong fourth‑weekend hold and week‑to‑week gains.
  • Curry Barker, a 26‑year‑old filmmaker who built an audience on YouTube, wrote and directed the movie on a micro budget reported at roughly $750,000 to $1 million.
  • Focus Features acquired the film out of the Toronto International Film Festival for about $14–15 million and has seen exceptional return on that purchase.
  • Because of ongoing box‑office strength, Universal/Focus postponed the planned PVOD/digital release and will keep the title in theaters longer than originally scheduled.
  • The breakout run has produced immediate industry effects: awards and casting attention for lead Inde Navarrette, new meetings and offers for Barker, and renewed studio interest in low‑cost, creator‑built originals and participatory marketing strategies.