After Obsession became a big money maker in May, it might not be surprising to learn the same luck hit fellow horror flick Backrooms.
Per outlets like Variety, the Kane Parsons-directed film made $81 million from North America alone, and $30 million internationally for a worldwide total of $118 million. Its domestic take beats Civil War as A24’s biggest-ever opening weekend, and blazes past recent projections that it’d make $40-$50 million. But that’s not all: it also has the biggest debut for an original horror movie, and the best start for a first-time filmmaker on a non-franchise movie. Oh, and Parsons is now the youngest director to have a #1 movie at the box office, beating out Josh Trank’s Chronicle from 2012.
Parsons first created Backrooms as a YouTube webseries based on a creepypasta of the same name. Studios approached him about turning those into a feature film, a gambit which has certainly paid off. The film, which stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, has garnered generally positive reviews from critics and an equally positive reception from fans and non-fans alike. It’s especially a hit with the youths, as tracking data acquired by Variety reveals 85% of audiences were under 35, and 50% were under 25 or younger.
Unprecedented. Thank you horror fans. This weekend and every weekend you show up in theaters pic.twitter.com/m3uVel0ghD
— Blumhouse (@blumhouse) May 31, 2026
Combined with Obsession’s ongoing success—its domestic box office went up another 10%, and it’s now made $146 million worldwide—it’s safe to say that dudes on YouTube are having a moment in the first half of 2026. (And it’s something Blumhouse, which produced both, is happily bragging about.) That these two are doing so well really stands out compared to The Mandalorian and Grogu, which saw a 70% drop in its second weekend. Its worldwide haul is now at $246.6 million, and even if it ends up as the lowest-grossing Star Wars movie, there’s always Disney+.
If May was a busy month for movies, June’s not going to be any easier on your wallet. Starting with Masters of the Universe and Scary Movie 6 on Friday (June 5), the blockbusters that await include Disclosure Day (June 12), Toy Story 5 and The Death of Robin Hood (June 19), and Supergirl and Jackass: Best and Last (June 26).
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
