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Horror Film 'Obsession' Posts Strong Second Weekend, Projected for $28.2M Holiday Haul

EntertainmentBusiness1h ago
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The low-budget horror film 'Obsession' earned $22 million in its second weekend, a 30% increase from its debut. The film, which has generated $74 million worldwide, is projected to earn $28.2 million through the Memorial Day holiday. It held the No. 1 spot on North American weekdays before being overtaken by a new 'Star Wars' spinoff over the weekend.

Facts First

  • Earned $22 million in its second weekend from 2,655 North American theaters, a 30% increase from its debut.
  • Projected to earn $28.2 million through the Memorial Day holiday.
  • Has generated $74 million worldwide on a production budget of less than $1 million.
  • Received strong audience and critic scores, including an 'A-' on CinemaScore and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
  • Held the No. 1 spot on weekdays before a new 'Star Wars' film claimed the top spot over the weekend.

What Happened

The R-rated horror film 'Obsession' earned $22 million from 2,655 North American theaters in its second weekend, which is 30% higher than its $17.2 million debut. The film is projected to earn $28.2 million through the Memorial Day holiday. It held the No. 1 spot in North America from Monday through Thursday before Disney's 'Star Wars' spinoff 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' claimed first place over the weekend. The film, directed by YouTube breakout Curry Barker, has now generated $58.5 million in North America and $74 million worldwide.

Why this Matters to You

If you enjoy horror films, you may see more low-budget, high-concept movies from new directors getting wide theatrical releases. The film's strong performance with a young audience—75% of viewers were between 18 and 25—suggests studios are likely to continue targeting this demographic. For filmmakers, the success of 'Obsession' and similar projects like 'Iron Lung' demonstrates a viable path for breakout online creators to transition to major studio films.

What's Next

Focus Features, which distributed 'Obsession', is set to debut director Curry Barker's next film, 'Anything But Ghosts', starring Aaron Paul and Bryce Dallas Howard. The trend of films from online creators continues next weekend with the scheduled release of the sci-fi thriller 'Backrooms' from YouTube breakout Kane Parsons and the studio A24.

Perspectives

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Industry Analysts argue that the film's unprecedented second-weekend growth indicates strong audience embrace and represents a 'dream scenario' where theatrical and small-screen releases complement one another.
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Film Producers suggest that a new generation of viewers is demonstrating a 'very specific taste for horror movies that is quite left-of-center' and view original horror as a 'real new growth area.'
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Distribution Executives observe that the film is outperforming all comparable titles by utilizing a 'more commercial play' through a classic theatrical release strategy that does not rely on premium formats.