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\n\tFor those who have followed Gen Z filmmaker Curry Barker<\/a>\u2018s career since he started blowing up YouTube, it\u2019s no surprise that his debut feature film Obsession<\/a><\/em> is doing the same in theaters. The horror pic has been in theaters for less than two weeks and has already earned north of $68 million in North America alone against a minuscule budget of $750,000.<\/p>\n \n\tFor everyone else, it\u2019s a revelation of epic proportions.<\/p>\n \n\tOver the long Memorial Day weekend, the film soared to $23.9 million for the three-day number, a record-smashing increase of 39.4 percent over its opening weekend haul of $17.2 million from 2,615 theaters at the domestic box office<\/a>. That\u2019s the biggest spike in modern times for a movie playing in more than 2,500 theaters outside the Christmas holidays, and even then, the increase is larger than a number of popular year-end titles.<\/p>\n \n\tComscore chief box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian is among those left stunned, saying there are virtually no comps. \u201cI\u2019ve been tracking and analyzing box office for 33 years now, and I thought I\u2019d seen it all until this past weekend with the incredible performance of Obsession<\/em> that required no caveats. A second weekend jump nearing 40 percent is virtually unprecedented in the annals of modern box office tracking, and there really is no direct apples-to-apples comparison available.\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tFocus head of distribution Lisa Bunnell says the specialty house always knew it had something special, but she echoes Degarabedian\u2019s observation. \u201cWe\u2019re at a level we\u2019ve never seen before, and the way it has behaved is outrageous,\u201d she tells THR<\/em>. <\/p>\n \n\tOne explanation? To date, 75 percent of the audience is between ages 18 and 34, a demo bracket that is dominated by Gen Zers (ages 18-29) and younger Millennials. This bracket can make or break a movie. The Gen Z generation, whose younger members grew up glued to their screens \u2014 not to mention those impacted by pandemic restrictions on in-person socializing \u2014 is showing an appetite for the collective experience a movie theater offers.<\/p>\n \n\tObsession<\/em> has\u00a0dramatically over-performed from the get-go<\/a>, opening well ahead of an expected $10 million to place third over the May 15-17 weekend just behind The Devil Wears Prada 2<\/em>. And on its first Monday, it shot to number one, where it remained until Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu<\/em> opened on May 22. <\/p>\n \n\tIn something of an upset, it beat Michael<\/em> to come in No. 2 throughout the long Memorial Day holiday, with each day coming in higher than expected. On Saturday, the weekend-over-weekend spike (three-day) was projected to be 30 percent, already a huge victory. But it widened to a record-smashing 39.3 percent.<\/p>\n \n\tIn terms of the holiday weekend itself, it was also the only title in the top 10 to enjoy a Sunday-over-Saturday increase. And it earned a better-than-expected $8 million on Memorial Day, a Monday, putting its 11-day domestic cume at $62.4 million. On Tuesday, May 26, it earned another $5.5 million for a domestic tally of $67.9 million as it prepared to officially race past the $68 million mark on Wednesday, May 27, if not $70 million.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s already one of our best-grossing movies,\u201d says Bunnell. Top Focus performers include Robert Eggers\u2019 elevated gothic horror film Nosferatu<\/em>, which earned $95.6 million domestically and $181.9 million globally following its release in late 2024. 2019\u2019s Downton Abbey<\/em> is its top-performing title at $97.8 million domestically and $194.7 million worldwide, not adjusted for inflation.<\/p>\n \n\tObsession<\/em> is a boon for all involved. The Universal-owned Focus beat out a number of other bidders \u2014 including A24 and Neon, the \u201ccool\u201d indie shops among Gen Zers and younger Millennials \u2014 in picking up rights to distribute Obsession<\/em> out of the 2025 Toronto Film Festival for $15 million.<\/p>\n \n\tThe movie is a major win for Focus chair Peter Kujawski, an indie veteran who has plenty of experience in the acquisitions and release space, as well as access to Universal\u2019s international distribution apparatus. And don\u2019t forgot he was brought in by Donna Langley, the longtime Universal movie chief who has rocketed up the ranks to serve as content chief of the vast NBCUniversal empire, and who is known for her shrewd ability to spot and, more importantly, win over emerging talent, including Jordan Peele. She still oversees Universal Pictures and Focus, where Kujawski is likewise recognized for his keen eye. <\/p>\n \n\tMarketing head Jason Cassidy is also a seasoned indie veteran. Ditto for Bunnell, who began laying the groundwork for Obsession<\/em>\u2018s release six months ago, reaching out to both Alamo Drafthouse and AMC Theatres to whip up interest in terms of working together to promote the film. AMC signed on to make an exclusive popcorn bucket, while Alamo gave Obsession<\/em> top billing for months.<\/p>\n \n\tFocus made a heavy merchandising push overall, including making replicas of the mysterious novelty item called \u201cOne Wish Willow\u201d that\u2019s at the heart of the movie\u2019s plot about a young man named Bear (Michael Johnston<\/a>) who uses the item to wish that his\u00a0longtime crush Nikki (Inde Navarrette)<\/a>\u00a0would love him more than anyone in the world. His wish is granted to horrifying results that have won over critics, who gave it a 94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. <\/p>\n \n\tObsession<\/em> is the only title in Focus history that will see its theater count increase in its third weekend. Bunnell says 100 theaters will be added over the May 29-31 weekend, bringing the total number of locations to 2,755 (40 were added last weekend).<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe\u2019re hearing of people going to see the movie three and four times. It\u2019s skewing a little more male, but it\u2019s getting more women as we move on,\u201d says Bunnell.<\/p>\n \n\tIn terms of its hold, many in the media are saying the closest comp is July 2023\u2019s Sound of Freedom<\/em>, the only non-year-end title to see a second-weekend spike in the same vicinity, or 38.6 percent. But that film\u2019s distributor, the Utah-based Angel Studios, has come under question for its unique \u201cpay it forward\u201d business model, whereby donors can buy tickets that can be redeemed by moviegoers. While a majority of those redeeming tickets did show up, a significant number didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n