Obsession North America Box Office: The R-Rated Horror Pushes Michael Down From The #1 Spot In The Domestic Rankings!

Obsession is outshining the big-budget blockbuster Michael in the domestic box office rankings. Read on for more.

- May 21, 2026 | 1:40 PM IST

Obsession North America Box Office: The R-Rated Horror Pushes Michael Down(Photo Credit –YouTube/Facebook)

Obsession is a sleeper hit and a great success among the big-budget mega hits. The movie has impressed the audience so much that it took the top spot in the domestic box office rankings, with a very narrow margin. It has outshone Lionsgate’s domestic daily for Michael. Keep scrolling for the deets.

The movie is already a sleeper hit at the box office in its first week alone. It has enjoyed exceptional momentum since its release, fueled by strong word-of-mouth and repeat audience turnout, and impressive holdovers on weekdays. What nitially looked like a modest genre release has now transformed into one of the biggest surprise success stories of the year.

Obsession at the domestic box office

According to Box Office Mojo, Focus’ R-rated original horror movie by YouTuber Curry Baker grossed an insane $3.6 million at the North American box office. It rose 25.3% from Monday on its first discounted Tuesday, despite playing in just 2615 theaters in North America. It is more than Iron Lung‘s $1.8 million and Send Help’s $2.5 million first discounted Tuesdays. The movie has hit the $23.8 million at the box office in North America in just 5 days.

Dethrones Michael from the #1 spot in the domestic rankings

Michael has been at #1 in the domestic box office rankings since release and lost it briefly to The Devil Wears Prada 2, but is back again. Obsession is leading at #1 with just a $16k gap from Michael’s $3.62 million collection this Tuesday. What makes Obsession’s achievement even more notable is the scale difference between the two films. While Michael arrived with blockbuster-level expectations, massive marketing, and the support of one of the most iconic music legacies ever, the R-rated horror has relied largely on audience buzz and the horror genre’s loyal theatrical fanbase.

More about the movie

As the weekend progresses, all eyes will remain on whether Obsession can maintain its newly earned crown or if Michael manages to reclaim the top spot in the coming days. Internationally, the movie stands at $7.6 million, and allied to the domestic total is $31.4 million. It was reportedly made on a $1 million budget and has already earned over $31.4 million; the movie is a sleeper hit. Obsession was released on May 15.