Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day Debuts at No. 1 as Obsession and Backrooms Continue Historic Box Office Runs

Sharad Jaiswal

June 15, 2026

Steven Spielberg has returned to the top of the domestic box office. Universal’s sci-fi thriller Disclosure Day opened to a strong $44 million from 3,824 theaters, exceeding pre-release projections and securing the No. 1 spot during a highly competitive weekend at North American cinemas.

The film also delivered solid results overseas, adding $48.8 million from 73 international markets for a global opening weekend of $92.8 million. The launch marks one of Spielberg’s strongest theatrical debuts in recent years and demonstrates that the legendary filmmaker remains a major draw for audiences despite an increasingly crowded marketplace.

However, while Disclosure Day claimed the top position, the weekend’s most remarkable stories continue to be the extraordinary runs of horror sensations Obsession and Backrooms, both of which are rewriting the box office record books.

Starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, Disclosure Day follows a meteorologist and a cybersecurity expert who uncover evidence of a government cover-up involving extraterrestrial life. Critics have largely embraced the film, with reviews praising Spielberg’s return to large-scale science-fiction storytelling. Audience reactions have been more mixed, making the coming weeks crucial in determining whether the film can develop the long theatrical legs often associated with Spielberg’s biggest successes.

The opening is particularly important given the film’s reported $115 million production budget and approximately $80 million marketing spend. Industry analysts estimate that the movie may need to approach $300 million worldwide to comfortably enter profitability territory.

International audiences played a significant role in the launch. The United Kingdom and Ireland led overseas markets with $7.6 million, followed by Mexico with $3.9 million. France and Australia each delivered roughly $2.9 million, while Brazil generated $2.7 million in what became Spielberg’s biggest opening ever in the territory. China contributed nearly $3 million and emerged as the top Hollywood market of the weekend despite strong local competition.

Universal’s marketing campaign appears to have resonated particularly well in English-speaking territories and Latin America, where interest in extraterrestrial and UFO-themed stories remains strong. Premium formats were another major factor in the film’s performance, with nearly half of domestic ticket sales coming from premium large-format screens.

Yet even with Spielberg back on top, much of the industry’s attention remains focused on Obsession, which continues to achieve results rarely seen for a horror film.

The breakout horror phenomenon collected another $19 million in its fifth weekend, declining only 25% from the previous frame. That performance lifted its domestic total to an astonishing $188.3 million, while worldwide earnings have now reached $265 million.

What makes the run even more remarkable is the consistency of audience interest. The film has now delivered four consecutive weekends that exceeded its already impressive opening weekend, a feat almost unheard of in modern box office history. The low-budget horror hit has also become the highest-grossing release ever for Focus Features, cementing its place among the biggest success stories of the year.

Not far behind is Backrooms, which continues its own extraordinary journey. The horror film from YouTube creator Kane Parsons added $11.3 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $160 million and its worldwide gross to $262 million.

The film recently overtook Marty Supreme to become the highest-grossing release in A24’s history, a milestone few would have predicted when the project was first announced. Parsons’ transition from internet creator to blockbuster filmmaker has become one of Hollywood’s most fascinating success stories, and Backrooms continues to attract audiences well beyond its core fan base.

While horror continues to dominate headlines, several major studio releases are facing a more difficult path.

Amazon MGM’s Masters of the Universe suffered one of the weekend’s steepest declines, falling 71% in its second frame. The fantasy adventure earned $8.7 million, pushing its domestic total to only $46.7 million. Worldwide, the film has generated $84 million, a disappointing result against a reported production budget approaching $200 million.

Disney’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu also continues to struggle. The latest theatrical chapter in the Star Wars franchise collected $4.7 million during its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $165 million and worldwide earnings to $315 million. While those figures would be impressive for many films, they remain underwhelming for one of Disney’s most valuable franchises.

Meanwhile, Michael continues its steady march toward the billion-dollar milestone. The Michael Jackson biopic earned another $4.1 million domestically, lifting its North American total to $362.8 million. Worldwide earnings have now climbed above $930 million, making it one of the most successful releases of the year and the highest-grossing music biopic ever produced.

Elsewhere, concert event film BTS World Tour Arirang: Live Viewing debuted with $3.8 million, while martial arts action title The Furious launched with $2.8 million. Comedy spoof Stop! That! Train! rounded out the newcomers with a $2 million opening.

The broader picture remains highly encouraging for exhibitors. Domestic box office revenue is currently running 13% ahead of last year and is tracking only slightly behind 2019 levels, the last full pre-pandemic benchmark year. Industry optimism is expected to grow further with the arrival of several major releases in the coming weeks, including Toy Story 5, Minions & Monsters, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

For now, Disclosure Day has delivered the No. 1 debut Universal and Spielberg were hoping for. Yet the most fascinating aspect of the summer box office remains its unpredictability. While established franchises continue to produce mixed results, original horror films like Obsession and Backrooms are proving that audiences are still eager to embrace unexpected theatrical events. As the summer movie season heads into its next phase, those surprise success stories may ultimately become its defining legacy.