How Focus Features and Curry Barker thought outside the box to make horror fans obsessed with ‘Obsession’

Focus Features wants to make people obsessed with its newest horror movie—and it seems to be working. Obsession, written and directed by Curry Barker, follows Bear (Michael Johnston) as he uses a mysterious, supernatural One Wish Willow toy to make his crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette), fall in love with him. However, he soon discovers it comes with shockingly sinister and scary results. The movie was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last fall and was acquired by Focus Features shortly after in a deal reportedly worth more than $15 million. It also screened at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin earlier this year before getting a wider release last week, opening to an impressive $17 million at the box office against a modest $750,000 budget. Jason Cassidy, vice chairman of Focus Features, said when he watched the film at a midnight screening at TIFF, he immediately loved it. “It’s got something to say, and there’s a real thoughtfulness to it,” Cassidy told Fast Company. “There’s something going on behind the movie in a way that feels interesting and different, and those are the kind of movies that we want to be known for.” “Putting them right in the story” Ahead of its wide release, the studio launched a marketing campaign full of real-world and digital elements to generate early hype for the film. One example was bringing the One Wish Willow to life, including a website that sold the toy, as well as a 30-second commercial that included a jingle. According to Focus Features, the video surpassed 5 million views across platforms, and the product sold out within hours. A specialty store and themed vending machines were also deployed across Los Angeles for a limited time so fans could get the item in real life. “It is the jumping point in the movie that leads to everything else,” Cassidy said. “It’s immersed in giving them something to own, but also putting them right in the story in a way that feels just very authentic to that experie