A24's 'Backrooms' Shatters Box Office Records to Become the Studio's Biggest Domestic Release

Kane Parsons’ horror sensation secures a historic opening weekend to overtake ‘Marty Supreme.’

Summary

• A24’s Backrooms has officially become the independent studio’s highest-grossing movie at the United States box office
• The horror film shattered industry expectations by earning $81 million domestically and $118 million globally during its opening weekend
• Directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, the project marks the biggest debut in cinematic history for an original horror movie

A24’s highly anticipated horror feature Backrooms is officially breaking historic ground at the domestic box office. Directed by 20-year-old creator Kane Parsons, the film has swiftly overtaken the benchmark recently established by Marty Supreme to become the independent studio’s highest-grossing movie ever in the United States. The viral sensation is currently projected to cross the coveted $100 million USD domestic milestone in a record-setting six days, a rare feat in the modern theatrical landscape.

Shattering initial industry tracking, Backrooms secured a massive $81 million domestic launch alongside a $118 million USD global debut over its opening weekend. This impressive box office haul marks the largest opening weekend in A24’s history, more than tripling the previous $25.5 million record held by Alex Garland’s 2024 thriller Civil War. Furthermore, the historic debut firmly establishes Backrooms as the biggest opening weekend in cinematic history for an original horror film.

Based on Parsons’ immensely popular YouTube web series, the narrative centers on liminal spaces and seemingly endless, eerie yellow structures that originally gained viral traction across online forums. The feature-length adaptation follows a furniture store owner, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who discovers a hidden doorway leading into these nondescript, maze-like rooms. Following his sudden disappearance, his therapist, portrayed by Renate Reinsve, is forced to venture inside the unsettling environment to find him. With this monumental commercial success, Parsons also earns the title of the youngest filmmaker to ever hold a number one film at the box office, surpassing the previous record set by Josh Trank in 2012.