How an indie horror film became a box-office ‘Obsession’

Pop Culture NewsHow an indie horror film became a box-office ‘Obsession’YouTuber Curry Barker’s film pulled off a rare box office feat, earning 30% more in its second weekend in theaters than in its opening.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Inde Navarrette stars as Nikki and Michael Johnston as Bear in "Obsession."Focus FeaturesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 25, 2026, 6:51 PM EDTBy Saba Hamedy and Greg RosensteinCurry Barker, a 26-year-old YouTuber-turned-filmmaker, made his horror film “Obsession” in just 20 days on a mere $750,000 budget.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Now, after its second weekend in theaters, the Focus Features-distributed movie is on track to earn more than 100 times that amount, with an expected $79.7 million haul at the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo, which tracks global theatrical totals. Of that projected total, $58.5 million came from North American theaters. (Focus Features is a unit of NBC News’ parent corporation, Comcast.) It’s a feat that even horror film genre heavyweight Jason Blum, who was an executive producer on the film, said is rare. “Obsession is the ONLY wide-release horror film on record to grow in its second weekend at this scale — $22.4M, up 30% over opening,” Blum wrote Sunday on X. “This doesn’t happen in horror.”The movie is the latest project from a YouTuber to surpass industry expectations. “Iron Lung” — a self-financed indie video game adaptation from Mark Fischbach, better known online as Markiplier — became a major box office success following its February rollout, helping renew interest in indie projects from online creators. “Backrooms,” an A24 movie from 20-year-old YouTuber Kane Parsons, is also looking at a big opening weekend. For Barker, the robust theatrical turnout for “Obsession” marks another chapter in his wild, fairytale-esque Hollywood story. Before the 2025 Toronto International Film Festi...