The horror title that turned a $750,000 production budget into a $407 million global gross now has a streaming sequel: Netflix US will add Obsession on November 17, 2026.
The date follows the standard Universal Pay-1 sequence. Obsession opened theatrically in the US on May 15, 2026, moved to premium video-on-demand on June 30, and made its SVOD debut on Peacock on July 17. After that four-month exclusive, the title moves to Netflix for ten months, then returns to Peacock for the final four months of the 18-month window.
The Pay-1 math media buyers should know
For streaming and TV planners, the specific date is less important than the pattern. Universal live-action titles do not jump straight to Netflix. The schedule is split into three phases, giving each service a distinct claim on the audience:
- Peacock first: four months, July 17 to November 16, 2026
- Netflix US: ten months, from November 17, 2026
- Peacock again: final four months of the Pay-1 cycle
That sequencing puts a high-attention horror film on Netflix just as Q4 viewing and holiday co-viewing rise. For a platform chasing engagement, it is a low-cost programming win: the title has already been monetized theatrically, on PVOD and on Peacock.
From YouTube sketches to a nine-figure hit
Obsession is also a creator-economy proof point. Writer-director-editor Curry Barker, 26, built a following with Cooper Tomlinson on the YouTube channel “that’s a bad idea” before making the micro-budget viral horror Milk & Serial. The new film stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette in a wish-gone-wrong story built around a toy called the One Wish Willow.
The result made it Focus Features’ biggest film to date and turned Barker into one of Hollywood’s most-watched new directors; his next announced project is an A24 reboot of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. That is a theatrical return of more than 500 times the production cost before PVOD and streaming revenue. A second SVOD window on Netflix could deepen that fan base before his next release.
The confirmation applies to Netflix US only. Other territories, including France, will follow separate output deals or regional licensing windows over the coming years.
Source: What’s on Netflix
