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‘Obsession’ Nets $16 M, Sparks Sequel or Anthology Plans

5/17/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Obsession earned $16 million in its U.S. opening weekend, far surpassing its $1 million budget.
The film holds an A-minus CinemaScore and a 94% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Director Curry Barker said the One Wish Willow premise “doesn’t make any sense” because the world outside remains normal.
Barker added he may pursue Obsession 2 or turn the concept into an anthology series with each hour focusing on a different wish gone wrong.

History

Historical Context

After Oren Peli shot the $15,000 found-footage horror ‘Paranormal Activity’ in 2007 and sold it to DreamWorks, Paramount bought U.S. rights for $350,000 and released it widely in October 2009, earning $194 million worldwide. Its profit margin eclipsed ‘The Blair Witch Project’, sparking a wave of low-budget indie horror franchises and new studio-distribution models.

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Story summary

Obsession earned $16 million in its U.S. opening weekend, far surpassing its $1 million budget.
The film holds an A-minus CinemaScore and a 94% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Director Curry Barker said the One Wish Willow premise “doesn’t make any sense” because the world outside remains normal.
Barker added he may pursue Obsession 2 or turn the concept into an anthology series with each hour focusing on a different wish gone wrong.

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