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Young audiences turned out in droves to movie theaters around the country this weekend. It wasn\u2019t for the big budget\u00a0\u201cStar Wars\u201d movie,\u00a0\u201cThe Mandalorian and Grogu,\u00a0\u201d which fell sharply in\u00a0its second weekend, however, but for a small budget horror from a 20-year-old first-time filmmaker that began on the internet.<\/p>\n
\u201cBackrooms,\u201d\u00a0released by A24 in 3,442 locations in the U.S. and Canada, made an astonishing $81.5 million in its first three days in theaters, according to studio estimates on Sunday. That\u2019s just a few hundred thousand dollars shy of what \u201cThe Mandalorian and Grogu\u201d earned in its first three days last weekend; And \u201cBackrooms,\u201d which was directed and co-written by\u00a0YouTube creator Kane Parsons, cost only $10 million to produce.<\/p>\n
The wild success of \u201cBackrooms\u201d didn\u2019t even hurt \u201cObsession,\u201d which is also the directorial debut of a YouTuber, Curry Barker, who is only 26. Three weekends in, \u201cObsession,\u201d a movie that cost less than $1 million to make, still hasn\u2019t dropped below its opening weekend earnings. This weekend, it was up 10% with another $26.4 million for a second-place finish, leaving Star Wars, the legacy franchise movie from the veteran filmmaker and the Walt Disney Studios, in third with $25 million.<\/p>\n
YouTube might not be the death of movie theaters after all. If this weekend is any indication, it could be the industry\u2019s new great hope.<\/p>\n
This is a weekend where theaters also hosted the debuts of\u00a0\u201cThe Breadwinner,\u201d\u00a0a\u00a0PG-rated\u00a0family comedy starring the popular comedian Nate Bargatze, and\u00a0\u201cPressure,\u201d\u00a0a solid World War II drama about the tense 72 hours before D-Day with\u00a0Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser. But it was the 20-something YouTubers that drew the most crowds. And both \u201cBackrooms\u201d and \u201cObsession\u201d were produced by Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.<\/p>\n
Abhijay Prakash, the president of Blumhouse-Atomic Monster said that the weekend is both staggering and validation of their business, which has from the beginning championed original horror movies that appeal to younger audiences, and generated over $10 billion in box office to date.<\/p>\n
He noted that they\u2019ve made a point of looking for up and coming talent on YouTube and, knowing how Hollywood works, this weekend likely inspire a wave of copycats. But beyond that, he\u2019s encouraged by the fact that the young creators who\u2019ve already had enormous success online still value the cultural currency of theatrical movies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great sign of relevance for us,\u201d Prakash said. \u201cWith some distance, we\u2019ll probably look back at this as a real turning point.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBackrooms\u201d started as a creepypasta \u2014 an internet-generated urban legend \u2014 before Parsons turned the concept, about a never-ending expanse of dull, depressing rooms and hallways, into a viral web series, which he made with the help of the open-source 3D graphics software Blender. It caught the attention of James Wan and Shawn Levy\u2019s production companies who were interested in taking it to the next level; Soon a movie was in development with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve starring.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t just a domestic hit either; Including international showings, \u201cBackrooms\u201d has already made $118 million globally. A24 said Parsons is now the youngest director to have a No. 1 film globally. It\u2019s also a record opening for the studio, whose previous high-water mark was \u201cCivil War,\u201d which opened to $25.5 million in 2024.<\/p>\n
The R-rated film was well-reviewed by critics and drew a young and diverse crowd to theaters. According to exit polls, 86% of the audience was under 35, more than half were under 25 and 44% were under 21. Many attended in groups and there were reports of sold-out shows, packed theaters and repeat viewings. Audiences gave it a less-than-stellar B- CinemaScore, however.<\/p>\n
But the buzz is still creating a frenzy of all ages, even teenagers, wanting to see \u201cBackrooms.\u201d Some theaters have even posted employees outside of the screens to make sure that anyone under 21 is accompanied by an adult. The same is true for the R-rated \u201cObsession,\u201d which has now made $104.7 million in North America, and is now Focus Features\u2019 highest grossing domestic release.<\/p>\n
Luis Olloqui, the CEO of Cin\u00e9polis USA, which operates 26 theaters across the country \u2014 most of which are dine-in \u2014 said they\u2019ve seen sellouts at many of their locations for both movies.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were a little worried that they would be competing for the same audience. It\u2019s not the case,\u201d Olloqui said. \u201cIt shows that when we have the right content, people from all ages are willing to go to the theater.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Mandalorian and Grogu,\u201d meanwhile, fell around 69% from its opening last weekend. The movie has now made $246.6 million globally.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael\u201d landed in fourth place with $11.7 million in its sixth weekend \u2014 the musical biopic has made $339.9 million domestically to date. \u201cThe Breadwinner,\u201d released by Sony, rounded out the top five with an estimated $7.5 million. \u201dPressure\u201d opened in seventh place with $5.8 million.<\/p>\n
Outside of the top 10 was the\u00a0heist-romance \u201cTuner,\u201d\u00a0which expanded to 452 theaters in its second weekend, earning a solid $1.7 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone\u2019s asking what\u2019s the next big thing in Hollywood for movies, and what can bring people back to the movie theater? And this may be it,\u201d said Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Comscore.<\/p>\n
Top 10 movies by domestic box office<\/p>\n
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:<\/p>\n
1. \u201cBackrooms,\u201d $81.5 million.<\/p>\n
2. \u201cObsession,\u201d $26.4 million.<\/p>\n
3. \u201cStar Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,\u201d $25 million.<\/p>\n
4. \u201cMichael,\u201d $11.7 million.<\/p>\n
5. \u201cThe Breadwinner,\u201d $7.5 million.<\/p>\n
6. \u201cThe Devil Wears Prada 2,\u201d $5.9 million.<\/p>\n
7. \u201cPressure,\u201d $5.8 million.<\/p>\n
8. \u201cThe Sheep Detectives,\u201d $4.6 million.<\/p>\n
9. \u201cPassenger,\u201d $2.6 million.<\/p>\n
10. \u201cMortal Kombat II,\u201d $2 million.<\/p>\n
#Lowbudget #films #YouTubers #beat #Star #Wars #heavyweight #box #office<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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