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.