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Backrooms Breaks A24 Opening Record With Massive Box‑Office Start

The low‑budget horror film’s strong opening signals that studios can turn YouTube creators into commercially viable directors and hit younger audiences at the box office.

Overview

  • The film made about $38.4 million on Friday and is tracking for an $80 million to $90 million domestic opening weekend, giving A24 its biggest debut ever.
  • Backrooms is the feature debut of 20‑year‑old Kane Parsons, who moved from viral YouTube shorts to a studio production while keeping substantial creative control.
  • Reported production costs were roughly $10 million and designers built roughly 30,000 square feet of practical sets, a mix that boosts the film’s profit potential if weekend estimates hold.
  • Critics have largely praised the movie while audience reaction is more mixed, with strong critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes and a B‑ CinemaScore alongside lower audience ratings.
  • The film’s success is part of a growing pattern of YouTube‑born directors translating online followings into theatrical revenue and could prompt more studios to recruit young creators and target under‑35 moviegoers.