It's the time for young twenty-something filmmakers to shine. After "Obsession", another first-timer is making waves at the box office. Kane Parsons' A24-backed horror-thriller "Backrooms" has shattered box office records during its opening weekend.
Released on May 29, 2026, the film, made on a $10 million budget, opened to a staggering $118 million worldwide. This success might catch many off guard, but Kane Parson has been a source of great interest to the Gen Z crowd. Driven by internet lore, the film has vastly outperformed all initial tracking expectations.
Just like it did with Curry Barker's "Obsession", the film's debut completely redefined the box office potential for digital-first creators foraying into independent feature-length cinema. In the US & Canada, "Backrooms" earned around $81.5 million (including $10.4 million from Thursday night previews). From international territories, it collected $36.5 million across 39 initial markets.
Featuring a stellar cast comprising Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, and Mark Duplass, the film has broken some records for A24, for which it has become the biggest ever opener. "Backrooms" thoroughly overshadowed the studio's previous record holder, Alex Garland's "Civil War", which opened with $25.5 million in 2024.
What's even more impressive is that "Backrooms" — and "Obsession" — are doing way, way better than big-scale undertakings like Disney's massive-budgeted "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" when you consider the budget-to-profit ratio. The "Star Wars' epic was pushed to third place in its second week. "Backrooms" is currently running alongside "Obsession", both basking in their respective box office triumphs.
The duo's theatrical run has been working differently, though. While "Backrooms" depended on extraordinary front-loaded numbers in its opening weekend, "Obsession" benefited more from a gradual increase in numbers, gaining more as each day progressed, bolstered by strong word-of-mouth and the creators' pre-established fanbase. Barker, too, is a YouTube creator-turned-filmmaker, six years older than Parsons.
