‘Backrooms’ To Set New Record for A24’s Biggest Weekend

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Summary

  • Directed by Kane Parsons and produced by A24, the horror film The Backrooms earned $38 million USD on its opening day
  • The feature is projected to gross up to $90 million in its opening weekend, surpassing A24’s previous debut record and outpacing The Mandalorian and Grogu
  • Developed on a budget of under $10 million USD, the project highlights a shift toward creator-led cinematic success

Kane Parsons turned his popular YouTube series into a huge movie hit. The film version of Backrooms broke records for A24, earning a remarkable $38 million on its first day in theaters. Experts predict the horror movie will make between $85 and $90 million by the end of the weekend. This is a significant jump from the $25.5 million opening weekend of Alex Garland’s Civil War, making it the biggest opening ever for the independent studio.

Chernin Entertainment and A24 jointly funded the film, ensuring it stayed under a $10 million budget. Experienced producers like James Wan and Shawn Levy offered guidance to help the new director bring their idea to life. The movie features Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, and tells the story of a furniture store owner who finds a gateway to another world. The film quickly drew large crowds, boosted by the existing fanbase from the popular online stories and short videos that had already been viewed almost 200 million times.

The success of this release shows a big change in what audiences want – they’re increasingly drawn to horror content created by independent artists. This film, made independently by Parsons, actually earned more on its opening day than big-budget shows like The Mandalorian and Grogu. Disney’s sci-fi western saw a significant drop in viewers during its second weekend, earning only $25 million compared to the huge initial excitement for this viral hit.

I’m so excited to see another YouTuber, Curry Barker, absolutely crushing it! His movie, Obsession, is doing incredibly well – it just passed $100 million domestically! It’s amazing because it shows how creators like him are changing the game. It feels like the old rules of releasing movies don’t apply anymore, especially when films start with a big online fanbase. The big studios are definitely paying attention to how internet-born stories are selling tickets!

The movie’s audience was largely made up of young people – most ticket buyers were under 25 – showing how well online creators connect with younger viewers. Even though critics gave it a mediocre score (a B- CinemaScore), dedicated fans are seeing it multiple times, especially those who loved how accurately it captured a specific, atmospheric style. This success demonstrates that building a strong community and engaging directly with fans can be more effective than traditional advertising.

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2026-05-31 13:26