After the record-breaking run of Obsession in theatres, a new horror film is setting the box office on fire in America.
A24's horror film Backrooms has set a new opening weekend record for the studio, earning USD 38 million domestically on Friday and projecting an USD 85 million to USD 90 million debut through the weekend.
The film's opening performance surpasses the previous A24 record held by Alex Garland's Civil War, which debuted with USD 25.5 million in 2024.
Adapted from Kane Parsons' viral YouTube series of the same name, Backrooms opened in 3,442 theaters across North America. The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Avan Jogia and Lukita Maxwell.
Backrooms follows a a small-town furniture store owner who discovers a portal to an otherworldly dimension in his showroom.
James Wan, Shawn Levy and Osgood Perkins served as producers on the film. Chernin Entertainment co-produced and co-financed the project.
The feature marks a major milestone for Parsons, who launched the original Backrooms web series on YouTube at age 16. The found footage-style series follows fictional researchers attempting to explore and study mysterious liminal spaces.
The 22-video series has accumulated more than 25 million views, while Parsons' YouTube channel, Kane Pixels, has attracted more than three million subscribers.
For the feature adaptation, Parsons co-wrote the screenplay with Will Soodik, whose previous television writing credits include Westworld, Ash vs Evil Dead and Homeland.
The original Backrooms series remains available to watch in full on Parsons' YouTube channel, Kane Pixels.
Backrooms is slated to release in India on June 12.
Meanwhile, Obsession continues its strong run at the box office. It has already minted USD 108 million globally, including USD 86 million in North America and 22 million internationally. In India, the film had collected Rs 4.50 crore nett in two days.