Horror sensation 'Obsession' surpasses $500 million at the global box office

The obsession doesn't give up.

The horror sensation of 2025, Obsessioncontinues to be successful at the box office, just over three months after its release in theaters.

On Sunday, August 23, the horror thriller reached and exceeded $500 million dollars at the global box officebecoming the first original film released in the 2020s to reach that milestone.

Furthermore, it surpasses ElementalPixar's 2023 animated film, which grossed $494.6 million worldwide, to be crowned as the highest-grossing original film of the post-pandemic era.

The current box office Obsession is the following (as of August 23):

• Domestic box office: $263.4 mdd
• International box office: $238.2 mdd
• Global box office: $501.6 million

The exhibition of Obsession in theaters in the United States concluded on August 14. It is still playing in several international markets. Its premiere in South Korea is still pending.

In previous weeks, the film written and directed by Curry Barkerstarring Inside Navarrette y Michael Johnstonmanaged to be the highest-grossing film in history made with a budget of less than a million dollars. The project of Focus Features was produced with a micro budget of just $750,000 dollars. It already collects more than 665 times the production cost.

Other curious fact that we want to highlight: upon reaching $500 million dollars, Obsession climbed some steps in the ranking of the 10 highest-grossing horror movies in history:

1. IT (2017): $719.7 mdd
2. The Sixth Sense (1999): $672.8 mdd
3. I Am Legend (2007): $585.4 mdd
4. World War Z (2013): $540.4 mdd
5. Obsession (2026): $501.5 mdd
6. The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025): $499.2 mdd
7. Jaws (1975): $490.7 mdd
8. IT: Chapter Two (2019): $473.1 mdd
9. The Exorcist (1973): $430.8 million ($441 million with adjustments for inflation)
10. Signs (2002): $408 mdd

With figures from The Numbers.

Obsession was acquired by Focus Features for $15 million at the 2025 Toronto Film Festival, thus becoming a highly profitable phenomenon. It is the studio's highest-grossing film of all time, and the biggest film acquisition for a film festival.

Other notable milestones: It's the movie highest-grossing original horror movie in historyand the highest grossing horror film of 2026; saw consecutive increases in its box office receipts during its first three weekends ($17.1 million in its first weekend, $23.9 million in its second weekend, $26.4 million in its third weekend), something that had not happened since the release of Spielberg's classic, E.T., in 1982.

In addition to a highly effective marketing campaignhe Word of mouth has been extremely positive. to Obsession.

The film's impressive commercial success is propelling its cast towards higher-profile projects; the protagonist Navarrete, has just been confirmed by Marvel Studios to play the mutant superhero Rogue in the next X-Men that is preparing for the MCU; Johnston, for his part, is in negotiations to join Brendan Franser and Rachel Weisz in the new sequel being prepared for the franchise. The Mummy de Universal Pictures.

Barker's next film project, titled Anything But Ghostsis already filming completed. It is another production with a home at Blumhouse and Spooky Pictures, with Cooper Tomlinson repeating as part of the cast, and set in the same universe of Obsession. Likewise, the filmmaker was recently chosen by A24 as director of a reimagining of the horror franchise The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Barker is one of the members of a new generation of filmmakers emerging from YouTube.

The plot of Obsessionfocuses on a boy's selfish and desperate longing for his platonic love, which triggers a sinister spell with the use of the “Willow of a Wish”, with which Niki (Navarrete) becomes irrationally obsessive until she becomes the shadow of Bear (Johnston). A seemingly harmless fantasy that turns into a disturbing nightmare.

In addition to Navarrete and Johnston, the main cast includes Cooper Tomlinson (Milk & Serial) y Megan Lawless (The Girl from Plainville).

Producers are James Harris, Haley Nicole Johnson, Christian Mercuri, and Roman Varis, with Teashop Productions, Under the Shell, Capstone Pictures. Executive producers include Jason Blum of BlumhouseLeonora Darby, Mark Lane, David Haring y Ruzanna Kegeyan.