This weekend saw a significant turnout of young audiences at movie theaters across the country. They were not drawn by the latest big-budget ‘Star Wars’ film, ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu,’ which saw a sharp decline, but by ‘Backrooms,’ a small-budget horror film from 20-year-old first-time filmmaker Kane Parsons. Released by A24 in 3,442 locations in the U.S. and Canada, ‘Backrooms’ grossed an impressive $81.5 million in its first three days.
This compares closely to what ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ earned in its opening weekend. ‘Backrooms,’ produced for only $10 million, outperformed expectations. Directed and co-written by YouTube creator Kane Parsons, the film’s success did not dampen the performance of ‘Obsession,’ another directorial debut by YouTuber Curry Barker, 26. Despite ‘Obsession’ costing less than $1 million to produce, it maintained its opening weekend earnings. This weekend, ‘Obsession’ increased by 10%, earning $26.4 million and securing a second-place finish.
Meanwhile, ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu,’ a legacy franchise film from a veteran filmmaker and Walt Disney Studios, fell to third place with $25 million. This shift suggests that YouTube creators might be vital for the film industry, proving theaters are still relevant. The weekend also featured the debut of ‘The Breadwinner,’ a family comedy with comedian Nate Bargatze, and ‘Pressure,’ a World War II drama starring Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser. However, the focus remained on the young YouTubers in the spotlight.
‘Backrooms’ began as a popular creepypasta, evolving into an internet urban legend before Parsons adapted it into a viral web series with open-source software Blender. This caught the eye of production companies led by James Wan and Shawn Levy. The film features stars like Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. Internationally, ‘Backrooms’ grossed $118 million. A24 noted Parsons’ achievement as the youngest director with a No. 1 film globally and a record opening for the studio.
The R-rated film attracted a young, diverse crowd. Exit polls showed 86% were under 35, with more than half under 25. This enthusiastic participation led to sold-out shows and packed theaters. Despite earning a B- CinemaScore, ‘Backrooms’ generated excitement across age groups. Some theaters imposed age restrictions, requiring those under 21 to be with an adult due to the film’s nature. ‘Obsession’ has now reached $104.7 million in North America, becoming Focus Features’ highest-grossing domestic release. Meanwhile, ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ saw a 69% drop from its opening weekend, reaching $246.6 million globally.
The film ‘Michael’ held fourth place with $11.7 million, accumulating $339.9 million domestically. Sony’s ‘The Breadwinner’ secured $7.5 million in fifth place. ‘Pressure’ opened seventh with $5.8 million, while outside the top 10, ‘Tuner’ earned $1.7 million after expanding to 452 theaters.
Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore noted that Hollywood is seeing a shift in how movies are produced and delivered, with YouTube creators influencing the summer movie season.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office:
- 1. ‘Backrooms,’ $81.5 million.
- 2. ‘Obsession,’ $26.4 million.
- 3. ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,’ $25 million.
- 4. ‘Michael,’ $11.7 million.
- 5. ‘The Breadwinner,’ $7.5 million.
- 6. ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ $5.9 million.
- 7. ‘Pressure,’ $5.8 million.
- 8. ‘The Sheep Detectives,’ $4.6 million.
- 9. ‘Passenger,’ $2.6 million.
- 10. ‘Mortal Kombat II,’ $2 million.
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