‘Obsession’ Joins ‘Sinners’ in Rare Box Office Milestone

Original movies rarely reach the $200 million mark at the domestic box office anymore, but “Obsession” has now managed to do exactly that. According to box office reporting cited in the original coverage, the Focus Features release has crossed $200 million in the United States and Canada as it moves into its sixth weekend in theaters.

This kind of performance is unusual in today’s film market, where franchises and sequels tend to dominate ticket sales. Over the past decade, only a small number of original films have reached this level. One of the key benchmarks was Pixar’s “Coco,” which passed $200 million domestically back in 2017. After that, the next major original success to hit the milestone was Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which went on to finish its domestic run at nearly $280 million after opening to $48 million.

“Obsession” arrived in a very different position compared to those films. It was not tied to a major superhero brand or a long-running franchise, and it did not open with a massive debut weekend. Instead, it started with about $17.1 million domestically. That opening would normally suggest a solid but limited theatrical run.

However, the film’s performance changed quickly once audiences responded to it. The movie premiered at TIFF and earned strong early reviews, which helped build word of mouth after release. It also received an A- CinemaScore, which is unusually high for a horror film and places it alongside titles like “The Conjuring” and “Get Out,” which are known for strong audience reactions.

After opening weekend, “Obsession” did something that is rare for most films. Instead of dropping sharply, its weekly totals either held steady or increased in some cases. Each weekend after release stayed close to or above expectations, suggesting that audience interest grew over time rather than fading.

As of now, “Obsession” ranks as one of the top-performing films of the year in North America. It sits within the top five domestically and has also crossed the $300 million mark worldwide. That global total places it ahead of several major studio releases, including “Scream 7,” “Mortal Kombat II,” and “Wuthering Heights,” according to the same box office reporting.

Within the horror genre, the film now joins a small group of high-earning titles that have passed $200 million domestically. That list includes Andy Muschietti’s “It” films and William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist,” which remains one of the most successful horror movies in history when adjusted for inflation.

While it did not begin as a blockbuster on paper, “Obsession” has become one of the clearest examples in recent years of how strong reviews and audience response can turn a modest opening into a major theatrical hit.

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