Curry Barker’s low-budget horror sensation ‘Obsession’ continues to shatter expectations at the global box office, crossing $286.5 million worldwide and surpassing the legendary ‘The Blair Witch Project’ to cement its place in horror history .
The film, made on a shoestring budget of just $750,000 (approximately ₹7 crore), is now one of the most profitable releases of 2026, earning over 100 times its production cost . It is on track to cross the $300 million milestone in the coming days .
How much has Obsession earned worldwide?
According to Box Office Mojo data, Obsession has collected $286.5 million globally as of its fifth weekend in theatres . This total includes:
- $188.4 million from North America
- $98.1 million from international markets across 56 countries
The film is holding exceptionally well in its fifth weekend, dropping only 27.6% domestically and 14.7% internationally, showing no signs of slowing down . It is expected to finish its theatrical run with a lifetime gross between $375 million and $425 million .
In India, the film has been equally phenomenal, crossing ₹76.75 crore net in 17 days. It is on track to become the highest-grossing Hollywood film of the year in the country, surpassing Project Hail Mary’s ₹90 crore total . It is also set to become the biggest horror film from Hollywood in India, beating The Conjuring: Last Rites .
Beating The Blair Witch Project
Obsession has surpassed several horror classics to break into the all-time top 30 highest-grossing horror films worldwide . The films it has overtaken include:
- Weapons ($270 million)
- The Silence of the Lambs ($275.7 million)
- Split ($278.8 million)
Most notably, it has beaten The Blair Witch Project, which earned $248.6 million globally on a $60,000 budget in 1999 . Both films share the distinction of being ultra-low-budget horrors that became cultural phenomena, though Obsession is on track to surpass the $300 million mark—a feat The Blair Witch Project did not achieve .
Why Obsession is a milestone for horror
Made on a landing cost of under $1 million, Obsession is only the third sub-million-dollar film to earn over $100 million worldwide, after Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project .
The film follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a hopeless romantic who uses a supernatural trinket known as the “One Wish Willow” to make his crush Nikki (Inde Navarrette) fall in love with him. The wish comes true with horrifying consequences, as Nikki’s personality begins to twitch with a disturbing dysphoria that suggests a malignant entity has taken control .
It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it became the highest-priced sale for a genre movie in the festival’s history . It holds a 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating, the best for any wide-released film of 2026 so far .
What’s next for Obsession?
With its worldwide gross approaching $300 million and lifetime projections as high as $425 million, Obsession is now the year’s most profitable film—outperforming big-budget blockbusters like Michael, Project Hail Mary, and Dhurandhar 2 in terms of return on investment .
As one analyst put it, “Obsession is surpassing franchise horror hits, setting an example for small-budget filmmakers” . For a film made by a 26-year-old YouTuber, this is nothing short of historic.
