‘Obsession’ Crosses $286.5M Global Cume, Closing in on $300M as Festival-Acquisition Record Nears

Focus Features and Blumhouse’s Obsession is nearing $300 million in worldwide box-office receipts after posting a global running total of $286.5 million, according to Deadline’s latest box-office report. The film centers on the escalating relationship between Nikki and Bear, a toxic romance that has drawn international audiences across multiple release markets.

Deadline reports that the film’s international performance is translating into a potentially record-setting outcome for festival acquisitions. The trade publication said Obsession could become the highest-grossing movie ever to be picked up at a film festival, a distinction it qualified by noting the film was auctioned after its premiere rather than purchased before screening.

In its coverage of the film’s rise, Deadline said Obsession’s box-office momentum has played out across territories including the United Kingdom, India, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. The report framed those overseas results as part of the film’s sustained global cume rather than a single-market peak.

The film’s distribution path is also central to the story. Deadline described the acquisition as occurring through a festival auction following the premiere, positioning Obsession within a segment of the film business where festival exposure and competitive bidding can determine international distribution terms and the pace of release expansion.

Obsession’s performance arrives as audience spending remains a key driver of studio and distributor decisions for titles released through the festival pipeline. High grosses tied to auction-backed acquisitions can influence how quickly buyers and distributors move to secure additional territories, as well as how they price future slate commitments.

For audiences and exhibitors, the film’s growth means continued demand for a wide release footprint once the festival window has passed. As the worldwide total approaches $300 million, Focus Features and Blumhouse will be weighing how to sustain marketing and theater availability, particularly in markets where release timing can affect final grosses and reporting.

Deadline’s reporting also identified a comparison point within the same acquisition landscape, saying Obsession appeared to be outpacing the prior benchmark set by the earlier festival acquisition of The Blair Witch Project. The trade’s framing indicated Obsession’s current trajectory may place it at the top of the festival acquisition performance list, depending on how final totals land.