A couple of years ago, Curry Barker wrote, directed, and starred in the found footage horror movie Milk & Serial, which is said to have had a budget of $800. Baker then released the movie through YouTube, where the free-to-watch video has racked up more than 3 million views. Even though he already made Milk & Serial, it’s his new horror movie, Obsession, that has been billed as his feature directorial debut – and a while back, Focus Features forked over more than $15 million for Obsession distribution rights in the United States.
JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray gave the film an 8/10 review, calling it “a slam-bang indie horror gem,” and he’s just one of the many movie-goers who have been enjoying Obsession since it made its way out into the world. Focus Features is getting a great return on their investment, as the film has crossed the $225 million mark at the global box office, will be surpassing Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s $156 million at the domestic box office today, and – as noted by World of Reel – will soon become the most successful festival acquisition ever.
As World of Reel notes, some trades have claimed that Obsession is already the biggest festival acquisition ever, since it has surpassed the $222 million that was made by Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, which was acquired out of Cannes. That is totally false. “What these reports completely overlooked is a little film called The Blair Witch Project, acquired out of Sundance 1999 by Artisan for just over $1 million, which ultimately went on to gross about $248 million worldwide.” But don’t worry, Obsession will probably be overcoming The Blair Witch Project‘s numbers by the end of this week.
Cast and Synopsis
Starring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, Obsession is a story about a hopeless romantic who makes a wish that his long-time crush falls in love with him. A sinister enchantment ensues. Here’s the official synopsis: After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price. Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter are also in the cast.
James Harris of Teashop Productions produced the film with Haley Nicole Johnson of Under the Shell, Christian Mercuri of Capstone Pictures, and Roman Viaris. Blum’s fellow executive producers are Leonora Darby (Teashop), Mark Lane (Teashop), David Haring (Capstone), and Ruzanna Kegeyan (Capstone Pictures).
Have you seen Obsession, and are you glad to hear that it’s going to be the most successful festival acquisition ever at the box office? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
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