Netflix Almost Killed The Biggest Breakout Movie of 2026 With Direct Streaming

Curry Barker’s breakout horror film, Obsession, was almost released directly on Netflix. It was not a sure-fire hit at first glance. However, the movie, with its terrifying take on modern relationships and Inde Navarrette’s spectacular performance, grossed over $500 million at the worldwide box office.

Barker, who made his directorial debut with Obsession, recently revealed that the movie almost released through direct streaming without hitting the theaters. On the Q with Tom Power podcast, the breakout director said that Netflix was one of the companies interested in acquiring the movie. He recalled,

They put in an offer to just put it straight on Netflix.

Ultimately it didn’t work out, and Focus ultimately acquired the film for theatrical release, and we are glad that it went that way. Otherwise, Universal could have completely missed out on 2026’s biggest horror flick so far.

Obsession Became Universal’s Most Unexpected Box Office Success

Inde Navarette in Obsession | Credit: Focus Features

Focus Features, which is part of Universal, and domestically distributed Obsession, called it the highest-grossing movie in its history. The movie was released in U.S. theaters on May 15, 2026, two days after international rollouts began. Obsession earned a whopping $17.2 million domestic opening from 2,615 theaters. It ended its U.S. theatrical run on August 14, collecting a domestic total of $263.45 million (via Box Office Mojo), and another $255.95 million in international earnings, for a total of $519.4 million at the worldwide box office.

After Universal officially surpassed $5 billion at the global box office this year, Obsession was named among The Odyssey, Michael, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie for contributing to the milestone. That said, the director himself did not expect the movie to be this big, especially in different regions around the world. According to the Associated Press, Barker made a bet with his manager and agent that if Obsession opened above $20 million, they would all get tattoos. The movie opened at $17 million, so they were safe, but then it crossed $20 million (via The Numbers) the following weekend and continued doing so over the next few weeks. “Holy cow. I didn’t think that was an option,” the director recalled.

Obsession is a story of modern romance transforming into a psychological horror. The movie follows Nikki (Inde Navrette), who finds a supernatural way to alter her reality despite her relationship being seemingly perfect. The discovery leads to a disturbing tale of obsession, control, jealousy, and love. Michael Johnston stars as Nikki’s boyfriend, Bear.

You can stream the movie on Peacock. Have you watched Obsession? Let us know.