Backrooms’ Nears Historic $100M Milestone for A24
Kane Parsons’ horror-thriller Backrooms is making movie history. The film is expected to cross the $100 million mark at the North American box office, becoming the highest-grossing movie ever released by A24.
The movie has already earned $97.7 million domestically, surpassing Marty Supreme, which previously held the record with $96 million. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme was also A24’s most expensive film.
What makes Backrooms even more remarkable is its rapid success. Made on a budget of just $10 million, the film achieved A24’s biggest opening weekend ever, earning $81.4 million. The movie continues to perform strongly, collecting $7.6 million on Monday and another $8.6 million on Tuesday.
At just 20 years old, filmmaker Kane Parsons has become the youngest director ever to top the North American box office. Parsons first created Backrooms as a series of viral YouTube Shorts and still owns the intellectual property behind the project.
The film has especially connected with younger audiences. During its opening weekend, about half of moviegoers were under 25 years old, while 75% were under 35, showing its strong appeal among Gen Z viewers.
Backrooms stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as a struggling architect who discovers an endless maze of mysterious rooms inside the furniture store he manages. Renate Reinsve plays his therapist.
The movie was produced by Chernin Entertainment, Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, and 21 Laps.
Parsons’ success comes shortly after fellow YouTuber Curry Barker scored a surprise hit with Obsession. The film has gained attention for an unusual box-office trend, with its second and third weekends performing better than its opening weekend—a rare achievement not seen since E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982.
Industry watchers are now closely following both Backrooms and Obsession as they face new competition from upcoming releases including Masters of the Universe and the return of the popular Scary Movie franchise.
With record-breaking earnings, strong word-of-mouth, and a massive young fan base, Backrooms has become one of the biggest movie success stories of 2026.
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