‘Obsession’ Becomes Hollywood’s First Original Film of 2020s to Gross $500 Million Worldwide

Focus Features' horror film "Obsession" has shattered box office records, becoming the first original film of the 2020s to gross $500 million worldwide. Directed by Curry Barker, the suspenseful story follows a woman manipulated into becoming a murderous girlfriend by a selfish man. The film's success surpassed that of Pixar's "Elemental," which held the previous record with $494.6 million in global box office earnings.

"Obsession" also claims the title of the highest-grossing festival acquisition of all time and the top-grossing film with a budget of under $1 million. Despite opening with a modest domestic launch of just $17.1 million, the film's critical acclaim and strong performance from lead actress Inde Navarrette propelled it to become a massive hit. Navarrette's breakout performance further contributed to the film's worldwide success.

Maintaining higher weekend totals than its opening for an entire month, "Obsession" grossed $263.4 million in the United States. The film's box office triumph has led to Barker's next project, "Anything but Ghosts," a horror film in which Barker will star alongside co-writer Cooper Tomlinson. The upcoming movie, set to be produced by Focus Features, sees the duo playing fraudulent paranormal investigators who face actual ghosts.

Furthermore, "Obsession" paved the way for Navarrette and co-star Michael Johnston to land significant roles. Navarrette will portray X-Men character Rogue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while Johnston is in negotiations to join Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in Universal's upcoming "The Mummy" revival.