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Horror Film Obsession Earns 80 Times Its Budget After Two Weeks
The low-budget horror film opened at number three domestically and rose 30 percent in its second weekend. Worldwide gross reached $79.7 million against a production cost of roughly $1 million.
May 25, 2:39 PM·1m read1 source
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The horror film Obsession has grossed approximately $79.7 million worldwide in its first two weekends, according to IMDb Pro’s BoxOfficeMojo. The reported production budget ranged from $750,000 to $1 million. Obsession opened on May 15 and earned $17.2 million in its first three days, placing third domestically, Variety reported.
It then held the top domestic spot on the following Monday through Thursday.
Domestic earnings reached $22 million in the second weekend, a 30 percent increase from opening weekend, Variety said. The four-day Memorial Day total is projected at $28.2 million. Focus Features acquired the film out of TIFF in September 2025 for a reported $14 million to $15 million. The studio has already recovered that acquisition cost multiple times over.
Barker wrote, directed, and edited the film.
He previously released the found-footage short Milk & Serial on YouTube after failing to secure distribution. Michael Johnston stars as Bear, Inde Navarrette as Nikki, with supporting roles filled by Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter.
The film runs 109 minutes and holds a 95 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes from 218 reviews. Barker’s next project, Anything But Ghosts, is in post-production with Focus and Blumhouse attached. He has also been hired to direct an A24 Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot.
