A24's 'Backrooms' Smashes Box Office Records, Hits $100 Million in Just 6 Days
A24's "Backrooms" has become a box office sensation, grossing over $100 million domestically in just six days and setting new records for the indie studio. Directed by YouTuber Kane Parsons, the horror film, based on his popular web series about liminal spaces, is now A24's highest-grossing domestic release. The movie's immense profitability and the director's hints at a franchise signal a major new success story.
A24’s horror film “Backrooms,” directed by YouTuber Kane Parsons, has achieved a remarkable box office milestone, crossing $100 million domestically in just six days. This rapid success establishes “Backrooms” as A24’s highest-grossing movie at the domestic box office, surpassing the $96 million benchmark previously set by “Marty Supreme” in December. While “Marty Supreme” still holds the title for A24’s biggest worldwide release at $191 million, “Backrooms” is poised to exceed this global high watermark soon, having already earned $144 million globally to date.
The film shattered expectations during its opening weekend, debuting with an impressive $81 million domestically and $118 million globally. This performance represents the largest debut ever for A24, more than tripling the previous record held by Alex Garland’s 2024 thriller “Civil War” ($25.5 million). Furthermore, “Backrooms” delivered the biggest start in history for an original horror movie. Adding to its list of achievements, Kane Parsons, the film’s director, became the youngest filmmaker to have a No. 1 film at the box office, surpassing the record set by Josh Trank, who was 27 when his 2012 film “Chronicle” debuted in first place with $22 million.
Given its unprecedented business levels, analysts are predicting a strong sophomore outing for “Backrooms,” with estimates ranging from $48 million to $50 million between Friday and Sunday. The movie is based on Parsons’ popular web series, which explores the concept of liminal spaces – eerie, seemingly endless rooms and structures that originated on 4chan and gained significant traction on online forums like Reddit and TikTok. The plot centers on a furniture store owner, portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who discovers a secret doorway leading to an infinite expanse of nondescript rooms. When he vanishes, his therapist, played by Renate Reinsve, embarks on a journey into the unknown to rescue him.
A24 and Chernin Entertainment co-financed “Backrooms” with an approximate budget of $10 million, making it a highly profitable venture almost immediately. Although a sequel has not yet been formally announced, Kane Parsons has already hinted at the possibility of developing “Backrooms” into a full-fledged film franchise.