Director Curry Barker's supernatural horror film Obsession earned $2.6 million in Thursday previews and Wednesday early access screenings.
Projected Weekend Performance
The film, made on a $1 million budget, is projected to open to $10 million to $12 million domestically. This comes during a quiet weekend ahead of the Memorial Day holiday, potentially setting up a competitive box office battle with The Devil Wears Prada 2 and the Michael Jackson biopic Michael.
Audience and Critical Reception
Obsession has captured the attention of younger adults in the 18-24 age group, a demographic not strongly represented in the viewership of its main competitors. The film boasts a 95 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences.
Barker, 26, came to prominence through his YouTube channel, That's a Bad Idea, and gained further attention with his viral $800 project Milk & Serial. He is represented by UTA.
Film Details and Cast
Focus Features acquired Obsession out of the Toronto International Film Festival for $15 million. The film stars Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter. It tells the story of a young man (Johnston) who uses a magical object to make his friend (Navarrette) fall in love with him, leading to unintended consequences.
The film is being released in 2,542 locations across North America, including 435 premium large-format screens. Producers include James Harris, Haley Nicole Johnson, Christian Mercuri, and Roman Viaris, with Jason Blum serving as executive producer.
Marketing and Future Projects
Focus Features has leveraged a strong digital marketing campaign, including selling out replicas of the film's mystical object, the One Wish Willow, which was featured in an in-world commercial that gained over 4.4 million views on YouTube. Additionally, cryptic billboards in Los Angeles and New York have sparked engagement from fans.
Prior to its release, Focus announced a re-teaming with Barker for his next film, Anything But Ghosts, alongside Blumhouse-Atomic Monster and Spooky Pictures. Barker is also set to direct A24's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/box-office-curry-barker-obsession-1236596466/
