TIFF’s Midnight Madness Plans Return of ‘Hope’ Special Screening and Replay of Focus’s ‘Obsession’

Toronto International Film Festival will bring back two titles tied to recent Midnight Madness momentum in its 2026 programming, with Deadline reporting that the Midnight Madness slate will include a special screening of “Hope” and a replay of “Obsession,” the acquisition that became one of the section’s standout commercial success stories. Deadline said the 2025 Midnight Madness run drew major attention on the festival circuit after Focus Features acquired “Obsession” for a reported $15 million. According to the report, the deal propelled the film into a headline role for the year’s festival marketplace, and the acquisition was described as the most successful festival pickup at the time. The same Deadline account tied “Obsession” to substantial box-office results, stating it reached close to half a billion dollars at the box office, figures that helped cement the film as a rare blend of Midnight Madness programming and broad audience reach. The upcoming 2026 programming will now revisit that success, with TIFF bringing back the title as part of the Midnight Madness lineup. Deadline’s report also indicated that “Hope” will receive a special screening within Midnight Madness. The festival’s Midnight Madness programming typically spotlights genre-forward films that lean into late-night audiences and programming that does not follow conventional mainstream release patterns, and the inclusion of “Hope” suggests TIFF is maintaining that emphasis in its 2026 lineup. While “Obsession” will be replayed due to its prior acquisition and box-office performance, the festival’s decision to pair that replay with a separate special screening points to a programming strategy that combines past marketplace breakthroughs with new titles for in-person discovery. That approach can have downstream effects for studios and distributors, since festival audiences and early buzz can help drive later marketing and release plans. Neither the report nor the information provided here includes a full lineup beyond the two highlighted titles, and it does not specify screening dates, ticketing details, or whether TIFF will add additional related programming such as Q-and-A events. As the festival approaches, TIFF typically confirms the complete schedule, venue assignments, and any associated events through its official channels. Still, Deadline’s reporting frames the 2026 Midnight Madness lineup around two points that have practical implications for the industry: the return of a prior Focus Features acquisition that set a high benchmark for festival-to-theater performance, and a special screening slot reserved for “Hope,” indicating continued investment in the kind of off-center filmgoing that Midnight Madness is built to showcase.