The box office is entering the “Backrooms.”
A24 and Chernin Entertainment’s new horror movie, based on director Kane Parsons’ Youtube creepy series of the same name, is expected to be another hit for movie theaters. It has made $10.4 million in Thursday previews at the box office.
“Backrooms” will shatter A24’s record for the company’s largest box office opening of all time. It’s expected to blow past its already monstrous projection of $40 million to $50 million, which would beat Alex Garland’s “Civil War” for the A24 record. The 2024 political thriller made a $2.9 million in previews and opened to $25.5 million. With just a $10 million production budget, “Backrooms” will be a major financial success for A24 and 20-year-old Parsons, who’s making his feature directorial debut.
The psychological horror movie revolves around liminal spaces, which are eerie, endless rooms and structures that have gained popularity in online forums like Reddit and 4chan. Parsons created a popular web series called “Backrooms” about a fictional research group that attempts to explore the odd liminal spaces. Now, he’s bringing the concept to the big screen with stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Avan Jogia, Lukita Maxwell and more.
This weekend’s other new releases include Sony and comedian Nate Bargatze’s “The Breadwinner,” which is aiming to debut with $8 million after making $750,000 in previews. StudioCanal’s “Pressure,” a historical drama about D-Day that stars Brendan Fraser as Dwight D. Eisenhower, is projected to make $6 million.
Fellow horror movie “Obsession” is looking to make $15 million to $20 million in its third weekend after its huge second week surpassed its opening in a rare feat, especially for an indie feature. Disney’s “Mandalorian and Grogu” is also looking to make around $40 million in its second weekend, a standard 50% decline from its Memorial Day weekend launch.
