The horror film Obsession, featuring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, has surprised many with its box office performance. Directed by Curry Barker, the film was made on a microbudget of less than $1 million. Initial forecasts expected it to earn under $10 million in its opening weekend. Yet, it managed to bring in over $17 million.
In the following weekend, Obsession made approximately $24 million, increasing to $30 million with Memorial Day sales included. This was a 30% increase from its opening weekend, surpassing films like The Devil Wears Prada 2 and a Michael Jackson biopic. It even outperformed The Mandalorian and Grogu that Wednesday.
A second-week increase of this magnitude is rare.
The film has already accumulated over $70 million globally and is projected to surpass $100 million during its theatrical run. This achievement makes it one of the year’s most profitable films.
The success of Obsession underscores that high-profile celebrities aren’t always essential for drawing crowds to theaters. Directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker, known for his sketch comedy work with “That’s a Bad Idea,” the film gained further attention when Jason Blum, a prominent figure in horror film production, joined as an executive producer after its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The film does not feature any major stars. The cast includes rising talents such as Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Megan Lawless, and Cooper Tomlinson. The most familiar face is likely Andy Richter, in a small role.
The plot follows Bear (played by Johnston) who uses a novelty toy to wish that his friend Nikki (played by Navarrette) falls in love with him, only to face unforeseen consequences. Navarrette’s performance as Nikki has been compared to standout roles in other horror films.
Erik Childress, a Rotten Tomatoes box office columnist and host of the “Movie Madness” podcast, attributes the stunning debut to effective marketing by Focus Features. Word-of-mouth helped sustain its popularity into the second week.
Meanwhile, The Mandalorian and Grogu faced a more challenging launch, earning $98 million domestically over Memorial Day weekend. This marked the weakest opening for any Star Wars movie, previously held by Solo: A Star Wars Story, which made $103 million during its debut weekend.
This film is the first Star Wars movie to hit theaters since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, which earned $177 million during its initial weekend. Despite having a well-known cast including Pedro Pascal and directed by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu serves as an adaptation from the Disney+ series rather than a standalone sequel or spin-off.
Disney’s recent focus on streaming may have shifted audience perceptions, associating Star Wars more with television.
Even so, The Mandalorian and Grogu could still succeed financially since its production budget was about $165 million, lower than many summer blockbusters.
According to Childress, it’s too soon for Disney executives to worry about the Star Wars franchise’s future. A new Star Wars film featuring Ryan Gosling is planned for 2027.
Childress notes that Solo experienced a 65% drop in its second weekend. He suggests that unless Mandalorian sees a similar decline, it may still approach $250 million domestically. If international sales perform well, the film could still be successful.