Horror Film 'Obsession' Earns $2.6M in US Previews

The horror film "Obsession" earned $2.6 million ^[1] in U.S. preview box-office receipts between Thursday night and Wednesday.

These early figures serve as a critical indicator of the film's potential to maintain momentum before the high-competition environment of the Memorial Day weekend. As an R-rated romantic horror title, its performance will signal whether the niche genre can attract a broad enough audience to justify its high acquisition cost.

Directed by Curry Barker and distributed by Focus Features in partnership with Blumhouse, the film was acquired for over $15 million ^[2]. The preview window provides a benchmark for the studio to gauge organic interest before the full theatrical rollout.

Industry analysts are comparing these results to previous horror successes. For instance, Paramount's "Smile" earned $2 million ^[3] in its preview period, which eventually led to an opening weekend gross of $22.6 million ^[4]. While "Obsession" has outperformed that specific preview mark, the current theatrical landscape is more crowded.

The film enters a market currently dominated by massive hits. The "Michael" biopic, for example, has reached a worldwide gross of $600 million ^[5]. This disparity highlights the challenge smaller, genre-specific films face when competing for screen space and consumer attention during holiday windows.

Focus Features is utilizing the preview period to build a foundation of viewership. By establishing a baseline of $2.6 million ^[1] before the official opening, the studio aims to ensure the film does not get overshadowed by the larger blockbusters expected to debut during the upcoming holiday weekend.