After Curry Baker's horror breakout Obsessionmade waves, a 20-year-old YouTuber's horror film, Backrooms, also climbed up the box office ladder as soon as it released.
Backrooms has also become a box office phenomenon just after its opening weekend. Here's more about it:
20-year-old Kane Parsons' 'Backrooms' has minted $118 million worldwide on its opening weekend
North Road Films, 21 Laps Entertainment, Atomic Monster, Phobos, Oddfellows Entertainment
The latest horror flick Backroomshas turned into a full-blown box office phenomenon. The horror film, directed by 20-year-old YouTuber Kane Parsons, has opened to a massive $118 million worldwide, becoming one of the biggest breakout movies of the year.
Backrooms earned $81.46 million from the domestic market alone, while its overseas collection stood at $36.54 million. The achievement is particularly astounding for a film reportedly made on a modest budget $10 million.
With Backrooms, A24 has scored its biggest opening weekend to date in its 18-year history, proving once again that horror remains one of the most popular and dependable genres at the box office.
According to reports, Parsons is now the youngest director to have a No. 1 film globally, beating Josh Trank's record, who directed Chronicle (2012) when he was 27. The Michael B Jordan-starrer film opened at $22 million.
Backrooms has already stormed past Obsession to lead North America's box office. Both the horror films, marking the young YouTubers' debuts, have dethroned Jon Favreau's Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian and Grogu.
About 'Backrooms'
Backrooms is based on the viral internet horror concept and Parsons' popular YouTube series. It is based on a viral video series of the same name that has garnered around 200 million views since 2022.
The film follows a terrifying descent into an eerie maze of endless yellow rooms, a concept that already had a strong online fan base before its theatrical adaptation.
Backrooms' success also highlights the continuing dominance of low and mid-budget horror. The coming weeks will decide how far the film can go, especially with competition from other major releases. However, with strong curiosity, online chatter and a sensational opening already in its favour, Backrooms has firmly established itself as one of 2026's biggest horror success stories.
Social and lead images credits: North Road Films, 21 Laps Entertainment, Atomic Monster, Phobos, Oddfellows Entertainment