Horror Backrooms grosses US$81 million in debut and Obsession surpasses US$100 million at the box office

North American cinemas recorded a historic weekend with the impressive performance of two highly anticipated horror films, “Backrooms” and “Obsession”. Produzidos by YouTube stars with minimal production costs, these releases attracted a vast Geração Z audience, redefining box office expectations in the summer season.

Enquanto that, “The Mandalorian and Grogu”, spin-off of Disney’s “Star Wars” franchise, faced a significant drop in its second weekend, indicating difficulties in expanding its audience beyond the existing fan base. The current scenario suggests a transformation in the dynamics of consumption of cinematographic content, with young audiences driving independent hits.

Box office Recordes boosts independent horror

A24 posted a notable performance with “Backrooms,” grossing $81 million in its debut in 3,442 theaters on Norte’s América. Este value represents a record for the producer, surpassing the previous mark of “Guerra Civil”. The success of the film, directed by Kane Parsons, just 20 years old, demonstrates the potential of low-budget productions and strong online appeal.

Simultaneamente’s “Obsession” continued its upward trajectory with a $26.4 million jump in 2,781 theaters in its third week. The film has already surpassed the US$100 million mark at the domestic box office, consolidating itself as one of the biggest hits of the year. Ambos titles, created by YouTube talents, defy the conventional logic of the film industry, dominated by big franchises. Segundo Jeff Bock, Exhibitor Relations analyst, “This should strengthen the industry. Há has a new audience, and they are waiting for this type of content.” Independent horror now competes with the biggest summer blockbusters.

The impact of these films becomes even more evident when considering the performance of Disney’s “Star Wars” spin-off, “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” The production suffered a catastrophic 70% drop in its second weekend, placing third at the box office, behind “Backrooms” and “Obsession”, despite being shown in a significantly larger number of cinemas. Este result suggests that the production failed to capture a wider audience. Mundialmente, “Backrooms” has already grossed US$118 million, surpassing initial projections for a debut of between US$40 million and US$50 million on Estados Unidos. With a production budget of approximately US$10 million, “Backrooms” is among the most profitable films of the year.

Kane Parsons: A24’s 20-year phenomenon

Kane Parsons, at just 20 years old, became the youngest director to reach number one at the box office with the success of “Backrooms.” Ele surpassed the previous record held by Josh Trank, which was 27 years old when 2012’s “Chronicle” debuted at the top with $22 million. Parsons’s feat set multiple records for the film industry.

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• The biggest debut ever for A24, surpassing Alex Garland’s thriller “War Civil,” which grossed $25.5 million in 2024.
• The biggest debut in history for an original horror film, highlighting the appeal of new narratives in the genre.
• The best debut for a debut filmmaker in a film that is not part of an established franchise.

“Backrooms” is based on Parsons’s popular web series and follows a furniture store owner, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who stumbles upon a secret passage. Essa passage transports you to a seemingly infinite sequence of rooms devoid of any description. Quando the character disappears, his therapist, played by Renate Reinsve, decides to venture into the unknown to try to rescue him. Dados from PostTrak indicate that almost 85% of the audience in attendance was under 35, with more than 50% aged 25 or under, reinforcing Geração Z’s engagement.

Sucesso repeated with YouTube creators

Parsons and other creators like Mark Fischback are examples of a new wave of YouTube talent moving to the big screen, taking their broad young fan bases with them. Earlier this year, Fischback directed, financed and distributed the horror film “Iron Lung,” which grossed $50 million on a modest budget of $3 million.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of market trends at Comscore, notes that “whether this is ushering in a new era or a paradigm shift for the industry remains to be seen, but this YouTube creator’s path to the big screen should be seen as complementary.” Ele adds that it represents “a production flow that did not exist until now”, highlighting the innovation in the cinema business model. Este movement indicates a new source of content and talent that can coexist with Hollywood’s traditional productions.

“Obsession” challenges norms with sustained growth

The performance of “Obsession” is particularly notable for defying traditional box office norms. The film recorded a 10% increase over the previous weekend, which had already shown an impressive 39% growth compared to its solid $17 million debut. Este kind of sustained ticket sales, especially outside of the holiday season, is rare.

Focus Features reported that “Obsession” is the first film since 1982’s “E.T.” to record an increase in ticket sales in its second and third consecutive weekends, without being driven by holidays. Após three weeks into its run, “Obsession” has racked up $106 million at Estados Unidos and $148 million worldwide, on a production budget of just $1 million. The film is already Focus’s highest-grossing release on Estados Unidos, surpassing the previous record set by “Downton Abbey,” which grossed $96.8 million on Norte’s América in 2019.