A24’s Backrooms opened to $81.4 million domestically from 3,442 theaters over its debut weekend, more than tripling the studio’s previous record of $25.5 million set by Civil War in 2024. Combined with $36 million in international receipts, the film grossed roughly $118 million worldwide — produced for around $10 million in a co-financing deal between A24 and Chernin Entertainment. The movie was written and directed by Kane Parsons, who is 20 years old and making his feature debut, making him the youngest filmmaker ever to open at No. 1 domestically, surpassing Josh Trank (age 27 for Chronicle in 2011). Parsons adapted the film from his own viral YouTube series built around the Backrooms internet phenomenon — eerie, endless liminal spaces popularized on Reddit and online forums. The cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, and Mark Duplass, with James Wan, Shawn Levy, and Osgood Perkins among the producers.
Audience data reflected the film’s deep Gen Z roots: 88% of opening weekend viewers were under 35, and roughly half cited A24’s brand as a key reason for attending. The result capped an unusual weekend in which two low-budget horror films from YouTube creators dominated the box office simultaneously — Focus Features’ Obsession, made for roughly $1 million, rose another 10% in its third weekend to $26.4 million and crossed $100 million domestically, becoming the first film since E.T. in 1982 to increase ticket sales in both its second and third weekends outside the holiday season. Though a sequel to Backrooms has not been announced, Parsons has indicated interest in building the property into a franchise.