Q3’s Horror Box Office Shows the Trouble with Always Hunting Another ‘Obsession’ — SkimNews
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- "Obsession" was produced for a reported $750,000 and grossed more than $500 million worldwide, becoming the industry benchmark every new horror release is now measured against.
- Zach Cregger's "Resident Evil" opened to $60.2 million domestically — more than triple the $17.2 million "Obsession" launch — but fell 62% in its second weekend while "Obsession" grew 39% in the same window.
- "Buddy" finished September with $26.6 million domestically against a $3 million production budget, nearly 5x its $5.5 million opening, while never playing more than 1,771 theaters — a viable indie arc distinct from "Obsession."
- "Insidious: Out of the Further" opened to $25.1 million domestically, down 24% from 2023's "The Red Door," but reached $168.3 million worldwide on a reported $18 million budget.
- "Evil Dead Burn" collected $32.2 million domestically — less than half of "Evil Dead Rise"'s $67.4 million — while its production budget grew from $15 million to $20 million, a worse ratio for Warner Bros.
- "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" expanded from 5 theaters to 1,036 and reached $6.8 million domestically, a roughly 37% jump over director Jane Schoenbrun's prior film "I Saw the TV Glow."
- The article argues that Hollywood's fixation on replicating "Obsession" overlooks what differently-shaped theatrical runs like "Buddy" and "Camp Miasma" actually accomplished for emerging filmmakers.
Why it matters: By treating 'Obsession' — a $750K production that grossed $500M+ — as the universal yardstick, the industry risks dismissing viable horror business models. 'Buddy' turned a $3M budget into $26.6M domestic; 'Camp Miasma' expanded 200x in theaters. Different shapes, all functional theatrical results the current framing undervalues.
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