Curry Barker’s horror flick Obsession is still stumping box office experts with its incredible run as it heads toward its fourth weekend. Against all odds, the psychological thriller has actually gained momentum since its debut, earning more in its third weekend domestically ($26.4 million) than it did in its second weekend ($23.9 million), which is already higher than its first weekend ($17.1 million). This is a feat that has not been accomplished since Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982. Obsession is sending shockwaves through the industry, and it doesn’t look like it will be stopping anytime soon.
Obsession is on track to break new box office records
For its fourth weekend, Obsession is predicted to earn $20.9 million domestically from June 5 to June 7. If this holds, it would lower than the movie’s domestic haul over the last two weekends but still higher than its domestic opener.
This projection comes from a June 3 weekend forecast from BoxOfficeTheory, but it comes with one huge caveat. The site admits that when it comes to Obsession, “Look, at this point, everyone’s guess is as good as the next.”
Industry expert Jeff Bock from Exhibitor Relations agrees, stating per Variety, “This should empower the industry. There’s a new audience, and they’re waiting for this kind of content. We knew indie horror was hot, but we didn’t know how hot. It’s actually competing with the big summer blockbusters.”
Indeed, looking at the movie’s domestic run this week, it’s possible that its fourth weekend will continue the hot streak and overperform once again. According to Box Office Mojo, last Friday and Saturday (May 29 and 30) saw huge spikes over the prior Friday and Saturday (May 22 and 23), so it’s truly a toss-up on whether Obsession can maintain its upward trajectory.
On that front, the BoxOfficeTheory report notes that three new movies will by vying for attention this weekend, two of which have higher box office forecasts than Obsession does. This includes the Scary Movie reboot ($50.4 million), Masters of the Universe ($29.6 million), and The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act ($12 million). Two other movies will continue to compete as well, though they are expected to experience a sharp drop: A24’s Backrooms that is expected to bring in $26.9 million (a 67% decrease since last weekend); and Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu that is predicted to take home $11 million (a 55% decrease).
Regardless of its fourth weekend numbers, Obsession is already on track to break new records at the box office. Current projections have the movie crossing the $200 million mark worldwide soon, which would be a first for Focus Features (as of June 5, its global total stands at $166 million). If the film is able to go past the $300 million barrier, it will be the first film with a budget lower than $1 million to do so since Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon in 1973.
Due to Obsession’s historic run, Focus Features has delayed the film’s digital streaming release, which was originally scheduled for June 2. Universal Pictures typically releases most of its films about 17 days after they come out in theaters, but as noted by World of Reel, it has taken Obsession off its digital release calendar and is expected to extend this window to 45 days instead, something which is normally reserved for blockbusters. This would mean that the movie is projected to begin streaming on Peacock at some point in early July.
Chris Reinacher has joined the cast of Curry Barker’s next movie, Anything but Ghosts, which will be set in the same universe as Obsession. The director is slated to reboot the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise by A24.
