Overview
- On Friday, June 12, Steven Spielberg advised 26‑year‑old Curry Barker and 20‑year‑old Kane Parsons to “not let wild success go to your heads” and reminded them each film still means starting from scratch.
- Both films have become surprise global hits: Obsession has earned about $238.7 million worldwide on a roughly $750,000 budget and Backrooms has reached about $220.6 million on a roughly $10 million budget.
- Studios and distributors are changing release plans in response to the box office, with at least one studio delaying planned PVOD and digital windows to extend theatrical runs and intensify negotiations for follow‑ups.
- Curry Barker appeared visibly starstruck when reacting to Spielberg’s praise on Today, and producers including Jason Blum have publicly framed the films as evidence that creator‑driven, social‑native projects can produce profitable theatrical events.
- Industry observers say the pair’s festival‑to‑theater path and heavy Gen Z turnout could reshape sourcing, marketing and development for low‑budget genre films and prompt more bids for sequels and series.