Theater ticket sales for ‘Obsession’ grew 30% on the second weekend, pulling in $22.4 million|@obsessionmovie|X
Horror movie Obsession, made by YouTuber Curry Barker on a $750,000 budget, is turning into a summer hit, on track to earn a massive $79.7 million at the global box office.
According to Box Office Mojo, $58.5 million is from North American theaters. The number indicates that the film has earned 100 times its investment within two weeks of release.
A sleeper hit
Theater ticket sales grew 30% on the second weekend, pulling in $22.4 million. It is a rare feat for a wide-release horror film, says executive producer Jason Blum, who is also the CEO of Blumhouse Productions, best known for horror franchises including Paranormal Activity and Insidious.
The movie is about a young woman compelled by supernatural influence to love a man. Actress Inde Navarrette and director Barker are earning rave reviews for their work. It has a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The project originally ignited a studio bidding war after its debut at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where Focus Features ultimately acquired it for $15 million.
Barker’s success follows other YouTuber-led hits like Markiplier’s Iron Lung. Another online creator, Kane Parsons’s Backrooms, is releasing this week and is poised to potentially break A24’s opening weekend record next.