500x Production Budget Windfall…‘Obsession,’ Top Horror of the Year, Set for September Release

‘500x Production Budget Jackpot’… A new playbook for horror hits from a 1999-born prodigy director

A once-in-a-lifetime horror craze that has swept through North American theaters has finally arrived on the Korean Peninsula. On the 10th, Universal Pictures, the distributor, announced in a surprise release that 'Obsession', the buzzworthy title that has shaken this year’s global box office, is set to open in domestic theaters on September 2. More than just the release of a horror film, the release offers a chance to witness a new paradigm for genre cinema.

In 'Obsession', the lead character 'Bear' (Michael Johnston) meticulously explores strange and terrifying incidents that spring from the dark wish he makes while trying to win a forbidden crush. Above all, attention from critics and audiences around the world has focused on 'Curry Barker', the director who comes from YouTube and was born in 1999. As his feature debut, the film obliterates the stale clichés that horror has long leaned on, completing a distinctive aesthetic of fear.

The film’s achievement, when viewed from an industry perspective, is at an astonishing level. Even though it was produced on a tiny budget of just $750,000 (about 1.1 billion won), it still drew in an astronomical worldwide profit of $400 million (about 600 billion won). That figure came on the back of explosive word-of-mouth momentum right after its North American release last May. It is a number that amounts to roughly 500 times the production cost—and also tops this year’s record for the biggest horror box-office hit, easily beating the revenue from the prior hit 'Backroom', which brought in $350 million.

The film has also been fully validated on artistic merit, not just mainstream appeal. 'Obsession' pulled off the feat of receiving an official invitation to 'Bucheon Choice World: Feature', the international competition category at the 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), held this month. In particular, despite being his first time directing a feature, 'Curry Barker' won the directing award right away in a single stride, signaling the arrival of a bona fide next-generation maestro.