The year 2026 has proved to be a golden year for cinema and box office around the world. This year, while Indian cinema gave blockbuster films like ‘Dhurandhar 2’, Hollywood has also presented many big hits like ‘Michael’, ‘Project Hail Mary’ and ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’. These four films together have earned a huge amount of more than 2.5 billion dollars (about ₹ 21000 crores) globally, but you will be surprised to know that none of these films is the highest profitable film of this year. This record has been registered in the name of a small film which is still running successfully in theaters and which has earned 100 times more than its cost.
Earning 100 times more than the budget
Writer and director Kari Barker’s independent horror film ‘Obsession’ has emerged as the biggest success story in theaters this year. This film, which was released this month, is getting stronger at the box office with every passing week and is continuously earning big money. Made on a very modest budget of just 750000 dollars, approximately ₹7 crores, this film has so far collected a gross of more than 80 million dollars, ₹750 crores worldwide. This simply means that the film has made a profit of more than 10000% so far, which is the highest compared to any other film this year.
Steps towards new record
It has been only a little more than ten days since ‘Obsession’ was released in theatres, but instead of decreasing, the pace of its earnings is continuously increasing. The film grossed $22 million in North America in its second weekend, significantly more than its opening weekend gross of $16 million. Despite releasing on limited screens, the film is making waves in foreign markets as well and has so far collected $21 million outside North America. ‘Obsession’ is now rapidly moving towards the $100 million mark. By crossing this figure, it will become the third film in history after ‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘The Blair Witch Project’, which has earned more than $100 million despite being made with a budget of less than one million dollars.
How did it beat big films like ‘Michael’ and ‘Project Hail Mary’?
The landing cost of this film was less than $1 million and it has recovered 100 times its cost. As its popularity is increasing across the world, its earnings are sure to increase further. In comparison, if we look at big films, the Hollywood film ‘Michael’ has earned 788 million dollars so far, which is only 5 times its budget. Whereas ‘Project Hail Mary’ has earned $675 million, which is almost 3 times its budget. Non-Hollywood films have fared better, with a Chinese sports comedy earning 16 times its budget, i.e. $650 million, on a budget of $40 million, while Bollywood action film ‘Dhurandhar 2’ has earned 17 times its budget, i.e., $200 million (over ₹1650 crore), on a budget of around $12 million (₹100 crore). It is clear that the very low budget of ‘Obsession’ has helped it to surpass all these legendary films.
What is the story of ‘Obsession’ and its team?
Written, directed and edited by Kari Barker, this horror film stars Michael Johnston in the lead role. In the film, he plays a music store employee named ‘Bear’ who purchases a supernatural toy. This toy fulfills his wish that his childhood friend Nikki (Indi Navarrete) falls in love with him, but the creepy and scary consequences that follow form the main story of the film. Before reaching the general audience, ‘Obsession’ was premiered at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, after which it was released in theaters on May 15. The film is receiving extremely positive reviews from both critics and audiences.
Also read: From courtroom drama to high-octane action, this week there is a blast of entertainment on OTT, enjoy sitting at home in the scorching heat.
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SK Sharma is a content writer who writes on news, entertainment, and lifestyle topics. She has over four years of experience and is known for conveying information in simple and clear language.
