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YouTube horror tops box office
“Backrooms” and “Obsession” have surged at the box office this weekend, with A24’s “Backrooms” taking $81.5 million in its first three days in theaters and “Obsession” adding $26.4 million for a second-place finish.
“For the second half of May 2026, an intriguing type of horror has owned the box office”
NBC News said “Backrooms,” released by A24 in 3,442 locations in the U.S. and Canada, was directed and co-written by YouTube creator Kane Parsons, and cost $10 million to produce.
The Hollywood Reporter said Obsession and Backrooms are “a new kind of movie” made by “non-traditional directors,” and it framed the success as a sign that theatrical releases can still draw audiences.
TechCrunch reported that “Backrooms” will bring in an estimated $81 million at the domestic box office this weekend alone, while “Obsession” is set to grow another 10 percent in its third weekend.
Flickering Myth added that last week’s champ Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu suffered a huge 70% drop as the two horror films occupied the top two spots.
Producers and executives react
Blumhouse-Atomic Monster president Abhijay Prakash said the weekend is “staggering and validation of their business,” and he described the results as a “great sign of relevance for us.”
The Hollywood Reporter quoted Jason Blum saying “Since COVID, there’s been this lethargic feeling around theatrical, and is it relevant anymore and is it going to survive?” while arguing that Obsession and Backrooms are “a new kind of movie.”
NBC News reported that exit polls found 86% of the audience was under 35, more than half were under 25, and 44% were under 21 for “Backrooms.”
NBC News also quoted Luis Olloqui, the CEO of Cinépolis USA, saying, “We were a little worried that they would be competing for the same audience. It’s not the case,” as he pointed to sellouts for both movies.
Flickering Myth said Disney+ spin-off Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu earned $25 million in its sophomore frame, taking its domestic total to $137.4 million and worldwide tally to $246.6 million.
From web series to theaters
Variety described “Backrooms” as the feature adaptation of Kane Parsons’ YouTube series, saying the 22-video web series has accumulated more than 25 million views and Parsons’ account has more than three million subscribers.
“This weekend at the box-office Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu hasn’t been downed by The Galactic Empire or another Disney-owned IP, but by Gen Z filmgoers turning up in huge numbers to support two critically acclaimed horror films”
TechCrunch said “Backrooms” is a feature film expansion of Kane Parsons’ series of YouTube videos featuring eerie found footage of a mysterious office space drawn from a 4chan thread, and it reported an estimated $81 million domestic opening this weekend.
The Hollywood Reporter reported that Obsession was written and directed by 26-year-old YouTuber Curry Barker and made for $750,000, while it said Backrooms is co-financed by Chernin Entertainment and the $10 million adaptation could gross as much as $90 million.
Flickering Myth said Backrooms grossed $118 million globally on its debut and called it the largest opening ever for A24, while also noting that it earned Parsons the title of the youngest director ever to have the top film at the box-office.
NBC News added that “Backrooms” started as a creepypasta before Parsons turned the concept into a viral web series, and it said the movie was produced by Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.
