This must be the most exciting time to follow the box office because we’ve never seen anything quite like “Obsession” in the modern era. As of this writing, Curry Barker’s low-budget horror film is the #1 movie in the country, pulling in an estimated $5.6M on Wednesday — more than it made on Discount Tuesday.
In fact, we might be looking at something very special this weekend: “Obsession” could actually beat its second-weekend tally ($21M), which had already surpassed its opening weekend. Has this ever happened before? A wide release increasing its weekend gross from Week 1 to Week 2 to Week 3?
Yes, “Obsession” actually outgrossed “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which is now expected to suffer a steep 65–70% drop in its second weekend. A total disaster for Lucasfilm. A front-loaded Star Wars movie that didn’t even open particularly big last weekend — at least not by their standards. The film is now expected to post a sub-$30M second weekend.
This is yet another sign that established franchises no longer dominate theatrical culture automatically, especially when competing against original genre films that connect strongly with younger audiences. Two horror movies overtaking a new Star Wars release would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago.
And speaking of that second horror movie: “Backrooms.” The A24 horror film is now looking to debut in the $70M+ range domestically, which would easily become the studio’s biggest opening ever. The film’s momentum is being fueled by online awareness, strong presales, and crossover appeal. This is going to be an absolutely historic moment not just for A24, but for Hollywood — and for the official domination of YouTube “auteurs.”
The other wide release this week is “The Breadwinner,” comedian Nate Bargatze’s family comedy, which is expected to open modestly in the $8–10M range during its debut weekend. It will serve as counterprogramming to the other three films.
Overall, what a time for the theatrical market, which is being reshaped by originality and horror’s commercial dominance. Instead of relying solely on legacy franchises, studios are seeing massive turnout for filmmaker-driven horror storytelling. Audiences are responding enthusiastically to fresh intellectual property rather than just sequels and cinematic universes. It’s about time — and Gen Z is driving all of it.
I briefly mentioned Ben Affleck's "Animals" yesterday, but I need to get more into it, because this thing, now streaming on Netflix, is one of the most baffling efforts I've seen from a serious director in a long time.