Why did NBCU pull 'Obsession' from schedule? The reason for streaming delay makes perfect sense
'Obsession' has quickly emerged as one of the year's biggest surprise hits, making NBCUniversal's decision to delay its digital release easier to understand. The movie's box-office success appears to have secured an extended theatrical run. While NBCU's decision to pull the film from its original digital release schedule is a bummer for fans, it makes perfect sense from a financial standpoint. The low-budget horror flick starring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette was originally slated to release digitally on June 2.
The film hit the big screen on May 15 and was an instant hit with fans for its riveting storyline. Made on a $750K budget, 'Obsession' raked in the moolah with a $16M debut. The attendance to watch the film grew, as did the money. At the time of writing, 'Obsession' has made $148 million worldwide. This has fueled speculation that NBCUniversal removed the film from its digital release calendar in order to capitalize on its continued theatrical momentum. At the time of writing, there is no official date for rent or purchase on VoD. The film could remain in theaters longer before arriving on premium video-on-demand, though NBCUniversal has yet to announce a new digital release date.
'Obsession' follows Bear (Johnston), a music store employee who buys a supernatural toy to help grant his wish to get his friend Nikki (Navarrette) to fall in love with him. This results in terrifying consequences for both friends. The logline reads: "After breaking the mysterious 'One Wish Willow' to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price." Starring alongside Navarette and Johnston are Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter, and Haley Fitzgerald. Written and directed by Curry Barker, the movie's production roster includes James Harris, Haley Nicole Johnson, Christian Mercuri, and Roman Viaris.
Speaking with TIME, Barker explained why the film's central 'careful what you wish for' premise appealed to him. "Any time you wish for something, it's probably going to be selfish," he said. "When people ask me, 'Curry, if you had one wish, what would it be?', I always say, 'That the movie does really great at the box office,' and it kind of gets a laugh. But really, that's pretty selfish. I could wish for world peace." For those yet to catch the gripping thriller, 'Obsession' is still running strong at the cinemas.
