Curry Barker’s Obsession is nearing an all-time box office record to add to its record-breaking run. The horror film has been the talk of 2026 from a box office perspective, as the $750K production has maintained interest for weeks. Obsession‘s box office total worldwide currently stands at $339.2 million, which has made it one of 2026’s highest-grossing movies.
The performance has been magical, with Blumhouse helping turn the low-budget indie into one of the biggest horror movies in recent memory. It had a historical second weekend domestically, where it rose 39.3% from its opening weekend. And in another marvelous accomplishment, Obsession‘s third weekend in theaters was even bigger.
With $222.1 million made domestically and $117 million made internationally, the film has been a global hit. Obsession has already become 2026’s biggest horror movie, and the record-breaking total has kept climbing since then. It’s gotten to the point where the movie is not that far away from breaking an all-time box office record.
Obsession is only $41 million away from becoming the highest-grossing original horror movie ever. This record currently belongs to Sinners, which took the crown last year when it made $370.2 million. But based on Obsession‘s trajectory, it is poised to overtake Ryan Coogler’s vampire movie during the remainder of its theatrical run.
How Obsession Became A Record-Breaking Box Office Juggernaut
Obsession is only in a position to challenge Sinners due to the film’s incredible reception. Boasting 94% Rotten Tomatoes scores with critics and audiences, word of mouth has been excellent. The horror and comedy elements have been praised, with Inde Navarrette’s performance garnering widespread acclaim.
Blumhouse effectively turned the horror movie into an event audiences had to see now, rather than wait until Obsession releases on streaming. There has been so much positive attention for the film that it became a sensation, one that people felt a need to seek out so they could participate in the conversations about it.
The box office figures show just how obsessed audiences became with seeing the movie. After a solid $17.1 million opening weekend, it rose to $23.9 million in its second weekend, and climbed again to $27.3 million in its third. Even the fourth and fifth weekends made more than the first, $25.3 million and $19 million, respectively.
It helps that Obsession also managed to increase its availability. After launching in 2,615 theaters, it gained screens over the next month, topping out at 3,068 theaters playing the movie domestically. That’s coincided with an increase in international interest. Another point in its favor, Focus delayed Obsession’s digital release to capitalize on the seismic interest.
When Will Obsession Become The Highest-Grossing Original Horror Movie Ever?
Considering how strong Obsession‘s legs have been and the $41 million gap to Sinners, the movie very well should achieve this record in a matter of weeks. It remains the most talked-about horror movie in theaters, staying far ahead of Backrooms, and there is no major competition for it until Evil Dead Burn comes out on July 10.
It should still make another $10+ million over the next week domestically alone. Factoring in the international markets, it should be able to close the gap at some point in early or mid-July and officially overtake Sinners to be the highest-grossing horror movie not tied to any IP or true story.
|
Highest-Grossing Original Horror Movies |
Worldwide Box Office |
|---|---|
|
Sinners (2025) |
$370.2 million |
|
A Quiet Place (2018) |
$340.9 million |
|
Obsession (2026) |
$339.2 million |
|
What Lies Beneath (2000) |
$291.4 million |
|
Weapons (2025) |
$269.9 million |
|
Us (2019) |
$256.0 million |
|
Get Out (2017) |
$255.7 million |
|
The Blair Witch Project (1999) |
$248.6 million |
When it does, Obsession will set a new benchmark for all original horror movies that come after. There’s a chance it even becomes the first one to clear the $400 million milestone. The question will then become how long Obsession can hold onto the record. Sinners was expected to retain the title for much longer than one year. Even if the same happens for Barker’s film, it will just reinforce how much audiences want fresh horror movies in theaters now.
- Release Date
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May 15, 2026
- Runtime
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108 minutes
- Director
-
Curry Barker
- Writers
-
Curry Barker
- Producers
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Christian Mercuri, James Harris, Roman Viaris, Haley Nicole Johnson