A new benchmark has been set for original Hollywood cinema as Obsession reaches approximately $501.5 million worldwide, becoming the first original Hollywood film released in the 2020s to cross the $500 million milestone. Directed by Curry Barker, the horror film has also moved ahead of Pixar’s Elemental to become the highest-grossing original film of the decade so far, turning a comparatively small production into one of 2026’s most remarkable theatrical success stories.
Before overtaking Elemental, Obsession had already moved past several notable original films from the 2020s. These include Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which finished with approximately $370.3 million worldwide; Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which earned around $363.7 million; Shawn Levy’s Free Guy, which grossed about $331 million; and Migration, directed by Benjamin Renner and Guylo Homsy, which earned nearly $299 million worldwide.
The list also includes Jared Bush and Byron Howard’s Encanto, which made approximately $256.8 million, and Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn’s Wish, which finished at roughly $255 million. Obsession had already surpassed Sinners earlier in its run to become the highest-grossing live-action original film of the decade, before eventually overtaking Elemental and claiming the broader original-film record.
The latest milestone marks another chapter in the extraordinary theatrical run of Obsession, which has steadily grown from a low-budget horror release into one of the year’s biggest global box-office stories. Its success has already delivered several milestones for Focus Features, but crossing the half-billion-dollar mark puts the film in a different category and gives original Hollywood cinema one of its most significant commercial successes of recent years.
Written and directed by Curry Barker, Obsession follows Bear, played by Michael Johnston, whose desire to win over Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette, leads him to a mysterious object called the One Wish Willow. After using it to make Nikki fall in love with him, Bear discovers that changing another person’s feelings comes with consequences he did not expect.
That central idea gives the film a personal story beneath its supernatural horror elements. Bear is not introduced as a traditional horror hero with a mission to defeat an outside threat. Instead, his own decision sets the events in motion. Nikki is equally important to the story as the film explores the disturbing consequences of turning affection into something that can be controlled.
Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless and Andy Richter complete the main cast, helping bring together the group of characters caught up in the situation created by Bear’s wish. This character-driven setup gives Obsession a clear identity beyond its horror premise, with the story centred on relationships, choices and the consequences of trying to control them.
The film was made on a reported budget of around $750,000 and opened in U.S. theaters on May 15, 2026. Its journey was not defined by a single explosive opening weekend. Instead, the film continued attracting audiences as its theatrical run progressed, allowing interest to build over time and turning a modestly budgeted production into a major theatrical success.
The achievement is particularly notable because original films rarely begin with the same level of audience awareness as sequels or established franchises. A new story has to introduce its world, characters and concept from the beginning. Obsession managed to turn that unfamiliarity into curiosity, with its unusual premise giving viewers something different from the familiar properties that often dominate major theatrical releases.
More importantly, Obsession has reached this point with an achievement that is easy to understand: an original film has found a worldwide audience large enough to cross $500 million. The characters and choices at the centre of its story may have begun with one dangerous wish, but the film’s theatrical journey has delivered something far bigger — a place among the defining box-office successes of its time.
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