Curry Barker’s Obsession has officially claimed the title of the highest-grossing original✱not based on pre-existing intellectual property horror movie of the century.
The film has amassed a global box office total of $426.7 million, with $253.2 million generated domestically in the U.S. and $173.4 million from international markets. This success is particularly striking given its modest production budget, which sat at under $1 million ($750,000).
Prior to Obsession, the record for the highest-grossing original project in the genre was held by M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs ($408.2 million), which premiered in 2002. Shyamalan still holds the all-time record for original horror films with his 1999 thriller The Sixth Sense, which earned $672.8 million.
Obsession follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a shy music store clerk hopelessly infatuated with his coworker, Nikki (Indy Navarrete). After Bear acquires a magical totem and wishes for her to return his affections, the situation spiraling into a dark and twisted nightmare. The film also found significant success in Russia, where it grossed 415 million rubles.
Source: Film.ru