Curry Barker's horror film Obsession nears $300M; becomes highest grossing movie ever picked up at a film festival, beating The Blair Witch Project.
Curry BarkerBlumhouse AtomicFocus FeaturesBlumhouseTea Shop ProductionsUnder the ShellCapstone Pictures

Curry Barker's horror film Obsession nears $300M; becomes highest grossing movie ever picked up at a film festival, beating The Blair Witch Project.

Curry Barker's horror film Obsession has grossed nearly $300 million, surpassing The Blair Witch Project to become the highest-grossing movie ever acquired at a film festival. The film, produced on a micro-budget of $750,000, has defied trends with consecutive weekend revenue increases.

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Obsession, directed by Curry Barker, has become a historic box-office phenomenon, grossing $286.5 million globally and nearing $300 million. This achievement makes it the highest-grossing film ever picked up at a film festival, surpassing The Blair Witch Project's $248.6 million.135

Produced on a micro-budget of $750,000, the film has defied typical horror trends, posting consecutive weekend revenue increases. It saw its fourth consecutive weekend outperform its opening frame of $17.1 million.46

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by Focus Features for $15 million. It also negotiated a box office bonus structure, earning $2 million after hitting $25 million domestically, with additional bonuses of $500,000 for every $5 million thereafter.

A source close to the film indicated that Capstone will earn between $45 million and $50 million, which will be shared with the creative team, including Barker. Focus Features is projected to make $125 million from the film, highlighting its unprecedented success in the industry.

Key Insight
“Obsession has become a historic box-office phenomenon, grossing $286.5M and surpassing The Blair Witch Project's $248.6M. The film's success is attributed to its unique marketing and strong audience engagement.”
CuriousCats studied:
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Hindustan Times
“Obsession became the highest grossing movie to ever be picked up at a film festival, beating The Blair Witch Project's reported final global of $248.6M.”
Hindustan Times →
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