The big story at the box office this weekend was not Disclosure Day, the latest film from Steven Spielberg. Instead, Obsession from 26-year-old director Curry Barker continues to defy every conventional box office trend. The horror hit earned approximately $19 million in its fifth weekend, falling just 25% from the previous frame while claiming the number two spot domestically.
Luminary limerence.
OBSESSION tracked down another $19M (-25%) this weekend, $188M total–the 4th consecutive weekend the film has grossed more than its opening weekend.
That. Just. Doesn’t. Happen. pic.twitter.com/tDdem9S65H
— Exhibitor Relations Co. (@ERCboxoffice) June 14, 2026
More remarkably, the film has now grossed more than its $17.2 million opening weekend for four consecutive weekends—an almost unheard-of feat in modern box office history.
Four Consecutive Weekends Above Opening Weekend
Most movies are heavily front-loaded. Studios typically generate their largest audience turnout during opening weekend before attendance steadily declines. Horror films are often even more dependent on strong debuts, frequently suffering steep drops once initial curiosity fades.
Inde Navarrette as Nikki and Michael Johnston as Baron Bailey in Obsession – Focus Features, Blumhouse Productions
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Last week’s number-one film, Scary Movie, dropped 73% in its second weekend. Meanwhile, Masters of the Universe fell 71% during the same frame, sliding to fifth place domestically. Box office analyst ODIN, writing for Geeks + Gamers, has also argued that Disclosure Day appears to be facing poor word-of-mouth and could experience a significant second-weekend drop.
Obsession has followed the opposite trajectory.
Instead of fading, the film has maintained momentum through strong social media buzz and continued audience interest. The result has been a theatrical run that increasingly resembles some of the industry’s most famous sleeper hits rather than a traditional horror release.
The fifth-weekend performance also continues a trend that has left industry observers searching for comparisons. Earlier in its run, analysts compared the film to The Blair Witch Project and Jordan Peele’s Get Out.
Michael Johnston as Bear in Obsession – Focus Features, YouTube
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Globally, Obsession has already surpassed The Blair Witch Project’s $248.6 million worldwide total. Deadline argues that distinction makes Barker’s film the most profitable movie ever acquired by a studio at a film festival.
It has also outgrossed Get Out despite being produced for roughly a quarter of that film’s reported budget.
From Niche Horror Release to Mainstream Phenomenon
Directed by YouTube creator Curry Barker, Obsession was produced for less than $1 million before being acquired by Focus Features for $15 million. What initially appeared to be a niche horror release aimed at a built-in audience has since transformed into a mainstream box office event. The distributor has already delayed the film’s digital release in hopes of extending its theatrical momentum.
Following its latest weekend, the film’s domestic total has climbed toward $190 million, while worldwide grosses continue to surge toward the $300 million mark.
Those numbers make Obsession one of the most profitable films released this year and one of the biggest independent success stories in recent memory.
What Obsession Says About the Future of Hollywood
Beyond the financial success, Obsession has become part of a larger conversation about the changing entertainment landscape.
Curry Barker speaking to AFI Conservatory Fellows – American Film Institute, YouTube
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The film follows the apparent trend of online creators successfully transitioning into studio productions. Like Backrooms director Kane Parsons, Barker built an audience on YouTube before making the leap to theatrical features. That background has led some industry executives to argue that creators who spend years cultivating online audiences possess a unique understanding of what viewers actually want to watch.
Whether that theory holds true long term remains to be seen. What is already clear, however, is that Obsession has become far more than another low-budget horror movie. Four consecutive weekends above its opening weekend is the kind of box office performance rarely seen in modern Hollywood, and Barker’s breakout hit shows little sign of slowing down.
Are you surprised that Obsession is doing so well at the box office? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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