Overview
- TheWrap reported Sunday that Focus Features’ Obsession has crossed $500 million worldwide and finished its U.S. theatrical run, a figure that would make it one of the biggest original‑film returns of the 2020s.
- Other outlets and aggregators cite lower totals in the roughly $480 million to $496 million range, leaving claims about specific records—like the first original 2020s film to reach $500 million and highest‑grossing festival acquisition—unverified and contested.
- Obsession opened domestically at about $17.1–$17.2 million and unusually rose in its second weekend (reported roughly a 39% gain), with strong weekend retention and social‑media buzz credited for sustaining its long theatrical legs.
- The film was produced for under $1 million, and its box‑office surge has already reshaped careers and projects: leads Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston are linked to major studio roles and director Curry Barker has announced a follow‑up titled Anything but Ghosts.
- The breakout underscores a recurring industry dynamic in which very low budgets lower the threshold for profitability and word‑of‑mouth can deliver outsized global returns, though exact rankings and records depend on which box‑office source is cited.