Obsession films« и «Behind the Scenes» are breaking records and making history at the box office, and producers Jason Blum and James Wan say the films are reminiscent of the 1970s era when young filmmakers were breaking into the horror genre.
Horror industry leaders kicked off the Produced By conference on the Universal Studios lot on Saturday, meeting with PGA President Stephanie Allen to discuss the state of the film industry, the post-COVID-19 recovery of theaters, and future plans for Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.
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«There’s a sense of apathy in movie theaters after COVID-19, people wondering if they’re still relevant and if they’ll even survive,» Bloom said. «And what I think is incredible about movies is «Obsession» и «Behind the Scenes» , "What's special about these films is that they're a new kind of film. They're made by unconventional directors, directors who have really honed their skills in creating content in the online environment.".
The film "Obsession" , Released on May 15th, the film was written and directed by 26-year-old YouTuber Curry Barker and grossed $750,000. Now in its third week of release, the Focus Features and Blumhouse release has made history as the first film released outside of the Christmas period since 1982 to see its box office take increase in its second and third weekends.
Meanwhile, this weekend comes out the film "Backrooms"« From another YouTuber, Kane Parsons, who at just 20 years old is expecting the biggest box office debut in A24's history. The adaptation of Parsons' viral YouTube short film series, co-financed by Chernin Entertainment and costing $10 million, could gross up to $90 million.
Bloom and Wang also noted that they have another upcoming project - a reboot of "« The Blair Witch Project» with creator Dylan Clark, who began his career on the internet.
«"Their hope, desire and dream is to make great movies," Bloom said.« Behind the scenes »" And "« "Obsession"» "These are bold, weird, and fucking crazy films. And for me, there's something about them that's reminiscent of the '70s, of a new generation of young people making bold films that resonate in theaters in incredible ways. A lot of young people grew up in a time when they couldn't go to the movies, and there was nothing that would make them tear themselves away from their iPads and go to the theater. And suddenly, they only have two films.".
«"This weekend the film's box office is «"Obsession »"We're up 20 percent from last weekend," Bloom continued. "Last weekend, we were up 30 percent from opening weekend. No film has seen that kind of growth two weekends in a row since «"Alien »"This is incredible.".
During the conversation, Wang, whose directorial credits include films such as «Saw, The Conjuring» и «Astral, spoke about where his passion for genre storytelling came from and how the success of horror continues to help the entertainment industry.
«"I've been a horror fan since I was a kid, so naturally, in the '80s and '90s, I was constantly watching horror movies, inspired by great directors like John Carpenter and Wes Craven," Wan said. "I'd look at them and think, 'You know what? I want to do what they did.' Today, we kind of emulate that model. And here we are. I say this to anyone who will listen: the horror genre continues to save our industry.".
Regarding the future of Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, which comprises its television, games, and live events divisions and officially completed its merger deal in 2024, the producers said they plan to "adapt to audiences" and refuse to "stay in a comfort zone.".
«"What are our goals?" Bloom asked. "In five years, we aim to be the 'Disney of Horror.'".
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