YouTube Filmmakers Dominate the Box Office with Horror Hits

Young viewers flocked to theaters across the country, drawn not by the popular Star Wars installment, The Mandalorian and Grogu, but by a low-budget horror film created by a young filmmaker.

Backrooms, debuting in 3,442 locations in the U.S. and Canada under A24, pulled in an impressive $81.5 million during its opening weekend. Despite the modest $10 million production cost, the film performed nearly as well as The Mandalorian and Grogu, which previously opened to a similar amount.

Directed and co-written by YouTube creator Kane Parsons, Backrooms achieved remarkable success without detracting from other new releases, like Obsession, directed by Curry Barker. Obsession, made for under $1 million, remained strong with a 10% increase in earnings, hitting $26.4 million over the weekend.

The triumph of these films suggests that YouTube may reinvigorate movie theaters. This weekend also saw the debut of The Breadwinner, a family comedy featuring comedian Nate Bargatze, and Pressure, a World War II drama headlined by Brendan Fraser. Yet, audiences favored films from emerging YouTubers, both produced by Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.

“It’s both staggering and validation of our business,” said Abhijay Prakash, president of Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.

Since its inception, the company has promoted original horror films targeting young viewers, generating over $10 billion at the box office.

Prakash emphasized the importance of spotting new talent on platforms like YouTube and expressed enthusiasm for the rise of creators appreciating theatrical releases.

Backrooms originated as a creepypasta—a web myth—before Parsons turned it into a viral series using Blender, an open-source graphics tool. Film production partnered with James Wan and Shawn Levy’s companies, ultimately casting Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve.

The film is a global sensation, amassing $118 million internationally. Parsons, now the youngest director with a top-grossing film globally, broke A24’s previous record held by Civil War, which had opened to $25.5 million.

Proved appealing to diverse and younger demographics, Backrooms was rated R, yet received mixed responses, earning a B- CinemaScore. However, it inspired a frenzy among audiences, particularly teenagers, leading to frequent sellouts and repeat viewings. Some locations even enforced age restrictions for younger guests.

Similarly, Obsession climbed to $104.7 million in North America, marking Focus Features’ highest domestic gross to date.

Luis Olloqui, CEO of Cinépolis USA, shared insights into the audience turnout:

“When we have the right content, people from all ages are willing to go to the theater.”

In contrast, The Mandalorian and Grogu experienced a steep decline, dropping by 69% from its opening. Its worldwide total now stands at $246.6 million. Meanwhile, Michael, in its sixth week, brought in $11.7 million, contributing to a cumulative domestic gross of $339.9 million.

The Breadwinner, distributed by Sony, finished fifth with earnings of $7.5 million, and Pressure debuted at seventh, collecting $5.8 million.

Outside the top rankings, Tuner expanded to 452 theaters, earning $1.7 million in its second weekend.

Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore commented on Hollywood’s search for enticing new content:

“Everyone’s asking what’s the next big thing in Hollywood for movies, and what can bring people back to the movie theater?”

Based on this weekend’s results, YouTube movie creators might offer an answer.

• Backrooms: $81.5 million.
• Obsession: $26.4 million.
• Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu: $25 million.
• Michael: $11.7 million.
• The Breadwinner: $7.5 million.
• The Devil Wears Prada 2: $5.9 million.
• Pressure: $5.8 million.
• The Sheep Detectives: $4.6 million.
• Passenger: $2.6 million.
• Mortal Kombat II: $2 million.