Focus Features‘ Obsession is officially their highest grossing movie ever with the Curry Barker directed horror romance crossing $224.7M worldwide.
The pic already became Focus’ highest grossing movie at the domestic box office back on May 31.
Obsession beats Focus’ previous biggest global earner, 2019’s Downton Abbey ($194.6M worldwide) as well as all the other pics that might have asterisks next to them, i.e. London Has Fallen ($202M worldwide, but Focus only had domestic which made $62.5M, the rest were foreign sales handled by Lionsgate) as well as USA Films Oscar winning Traffic ($207.5M WW — though in the Focus library, it’s a title from a previous administration and previous Universal classic label, so doesn’t count. Also Graham King handled international via foreign sales).
The Blumhouse Atomic Monster movie Obsession was launched like you’d do any genre pics –screenings at cult festivals like SXSW, with cute stunts like the Post It ‘lovey’ tags from the pic’s girlfriend Nikki (Inde Navarrette). But at the end of the day, this movie is selling itself. On its own, it’s the best form of marketing. Couples are heading to this from ages of Gen Alpha through their 50s and it’s a battle of the sexes debate as they leave the cinema.
The feature directorial debut of YouTube genre creator Curry Barker was made for $750K and snapped up by Focus Features out of TIFF Midnight as we first told you for $15M+.
With a mind blowing $25.6M fourth weekend at the domestic B.O., -7%, Obsession reps the biggest fourth weekend ever for a horror movie ahead of 1999’s Blair Witch Project which did $24.3M. The pic’s fourth foreign weekend was $17.7M ($13.8M from Universal territories) for entire global $43.8M weekend from 6,825 screens and 57 territories. Broken out, domestic cume stands at $152.1M and overseas at $72.6M ($56.5M from Uni markets).
Obsession isn’t the only movie that’s breaking records this weekend: A24’s Backrooms became their highest grossing movie worldwide while Lionsgate’s Michael (with foreign handled by Uni) is that studio’s highest grossing title ever with $888M.
Further notes on foreign for Obsession is below:
UK & Ireland grossed $2.6M this weekend to reach $13.8M cume, above Get Out at the same point. Obsession achieved outstanding uplift this weekend by far the best hold of the top titles. Pic has surpassed Longlegs’ lifetime.
India is a wow with a second frame of $2.1M and a $4.4M cume, making it the 8th highest MPA horror pic in the market and besting lifetime cumes there of Annabelle Comes Home, It and The Conjuring.
Australia, a non Uni market, added a great $2.1M this weekend, reaching $8.7M cume, having already surpassed the total lifetimes of Weapons, Nosferatu and Scream 7, and performing above all comps at the same point. Obsession ranked No.2 in the market, only behind opener Scary Movie.
France, another non Uni market, added $1.5M, reaching $6.3M cume, having now surpassed the total lifetimes of The Substance and Nosferatu.
In Mexico the Barker movie added $1.3M this weekend to reach $5.3M cume, above Longlegs and Sinners at the same point. Obsession ranked No.5 in the market, seeing by far the best hold in the market.
UAE did $1M in weekend 3 for a $3.5M cume ahead of Weapons cume, and overtaking Sinners, The Black Phone and Longlegs. It’s the No. 4 biggest MPA horror pic there and the weekend’s No. 1 pic in the marketing, outgrossing the next biggest title by 2x.
Saudi Arabia held flat this weekend (despite Eid holidays having come to an end), adding $900K and reaching $3.3M cume, in-line with Weapons and above all other comps at the same point. Obsession is already the 8th biggest MPA Horror title of all-time in the market.