Topline<\/p>\n
A new horror movie based on a popular YouTube series has already broken records in previews for cult-favorite film studio A24, and its weekend performance could see it top the latest Star Wars theatrical release in what would be a resounding victory for its 20-year-old debut director. <\/p>\n
Renate Reinsve in “The Backrooms.” <\/p>\n
A24Key Facts<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Backrooms,\u201d a psychological horror movie based on a popular Youtube series of the same name, grossed $10.4 million in Thursday box office previews, Variety<\/a> reported. <\/p>\n That draw shatters the preview record for A24, previously held by the $2.9 million “Civil War” grossed in its Thursday preview in 2024, and sets it up to break the studio\u2019s record in its wider release. <\/p>\n \u201cBackrooms\u201d is expected to top original opening weekend projections of $40 million to $50 million, setting it up to surpass Star Wars\u2019 \u201cMandalorian and Grogu\u201d from Disney, which will likely make about $40 million in its second weekend.<\/p>\n The success of \u201cBackrooms,\u201d 20-year-old Kane Parsons\u2019 first turn as director, comes on the heels of another horror\u2019s surprising debut as the breakout hit of the summer. <\/p>\n \u201cObsession,\u201d directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker, has grossed more than $68 million domestically\u2014miles beyond its $750,000 and $1 million budget\u2014and achieved a “virtually unprecedented\u201d<\/a> spike in its second weekend. <\/p>\n \u201cObsession\u201d is expected to make another $15 million to $20 million in its third weekend. <\/p>\n Surprising Fact<\/p>\n \u201cEverything Everywhere All at Once\u201d is undisputedly A24\u2019s most successful movie\u2014it won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and is the studio\u2019s second-highest grossing film of all time\u2014but its unconventional rollout left space for \u201cThe Backrooms\u201d to notch a few studio records. \u201cEverything Everywhere\u201d opened in limited release across just 10 theaters and didn\u2019t have a conventional Thursday preview day, meaning it wasn\u2019t a real player for the records \u201cBackrooms\u201d is now breaking. <\/p>\n Big Number<\/p>\n More than 220 million. That’s how many views Parsons’ viral “Backrooms” horror series has generated on Youtube<\/a> including original breakout short film, \u201cThe Backrooms (Found Footage),\u201d which has notched more than 78 million views alone. <\/p>\n Key Background <\/p>\n Parsons uploaded his short film, “The Backrooms (Found Footage),” four years ago. The story follows a filmmaker who accidentally stumbles into a series of hidden rooms while filming his low-budget film. The concept pulled largely from a niche internet meme that found life on sub-Reddits and 4chan, and the film went viral almost instantly, amassing tens of millions of views in weeks. Parsons, who was 16 at the time, told Vanity Fair<\/a> he was approached by studios almost immediately and ultimately made his pitch to A24 in the same week his college applications were due. He signed with the studio at 19, the youngest director in the studio\u2019s history. <\/p>\n Crucial Quote<\/p>\n