Obsession has been an incredibly successful horror movie, and it currently holds a major 2026 box office record. 2026 has had several hits already at the box office. The highest-grossing movie of the year so far is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which has earned over $1 billion worldwide. It's the first 2026 film to reach $1 billion worldwide, but it likely won't be the last.
Other films that have been huge hits are Michael, Project Hail Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, and Pegasus 3. Michael is the second-highest-grossing film of the year, earning around $934.7 million worldwide. The third-highest-grossing film of the year is Project Hail Mary, which has earned over $681.6 million worldwide, followed by The Devil Wears Prada 2, which has earned over $676.1 million worldwide, and Pegasus 3, which has grossed around $656.5 million worldwide.
Another major hit of 2026 is Obsession, which has become a box office sensation. Directed by Curry Barker, the film has been a major critical and commercial success. The film was released in theaters on May 15, 2025, but it has had tremendous staying power at the box office.
The horror genre has had a few hits in 2026, but Obsession currently holds a box office record for the genre this year. The Blumhouse film is currently the highest-grossing horror movie of the year. It will have more competition coming later this year as there are a few more horror films in 2026 with strong box office potential, but the film could hold on to its crown by the end of the year.
Horror has had a few horror movies in 2026 that performed well at the box office. Send Help earned around $94 million worldwide, and Iron Lung grossed over $50 million worldwide. Scream 7 was also a major hit, earning around $208 million worldwide, and becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise.
However, Obsession now holds a major box office record in the horror genre for 2026. It has made around $290.3 million worldwide, and is the highest-grossing horror film of 2026 worldwide. With a reported budget of $750,000, Obsession has become wildly successful. Additionally, it is also one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of 2026. It is the eighth-highest grossing film of the year, behind The Mandalorian and Grogu, which has made around $315.8 million worldwide, and ahead of Backrooms, which has made over $249.4 million worldwide.
Backrooms has also been a huge horror hit, and is currently the second highest-grossing horror film of 2026. Still, it may not reach Obsession, which continues to add to its worldwide box office total. However, there are other horror movies coming later this year that could compete with Obsession for this box office record.
2026's remaining horror lineup includes a few new installments from popular franchises. One is Evil Dead Burn, which is the sixth movie in the Evil Dead series, and could continue the franchise's success after 2023's Evil Dead Rise. The 2023 film performed well at the box office, grossing over $147.1 million worldwide. Meanwhile, the Insidious series is also releasing its sixth film this year with Insidious: Out of the Further. The previous installment, Insidious: The Red Door, was a hit at the box office, grossing around $189.1 million worldwide.
Two other 2026 horror films with strong box office potential are Resident Evil and Clayface. Resident Evil is based on the popular video game series, and is directed by Zach Cregger, whose last film, Weapons, was a huge hit that grossed around $270.1 million worldwide. Meanwhile, Clayface is a DCU film that explores the origins of one of Batman's most disturbing villains.
While all of these films could be successful at the box office, Clayface likely has the best chance of taking Obsession's title as the highest-grossing horror film of 2026. Though Clayface is not one of Batman's most well-known villains, it's still a DC film, and comic book films can still be huge hits at the box office. However, Obsession is still adding to its worldwide box office total, and it could be hard to beat by the time it ends its theatrical run.
