A24’s Backrooms has officially become one of the biggest box office stories of 2026.
The horror film debuted at No. 1 domestically with an impressive $81.5 million opening weekend, easily topping the weekend chart while shattering multiple records in the process. The film also earned approximately $118 million worldwide during its debut frame.
The opening marks the largest debut in A24 history, blowing past the studio’s previous record holder, Civil War, which opened to $25.5 million in 2024. Industry analysts initially projected Backrooms to earn around $45 million to $55 million during its opening weekend, making its actual performance one of the year’s biggest surprises.
Directed by 20-year-old filmmaker Kane Parsons, the movie is based on his viral YouTube horror series that helped popularize the internet phenomenon known as the Backrooms. With the film opening at No. 1, Parsons has become the youngest director ever to debut a film at the top of the domestic box office.
The film’s success was strong enough to outperform major franchise competition, including The Mandalorian and Grogu, proving that original horror remains one of Hollywood’s most reliable genres.
Made on a reported budget of around $10 million, Backrooms has already earned more than eleven times its production cost worldwide after just one weekend in theaters.
What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that the film originated from a YouTube series and internet creepypasta before becoming a full-scale theatrical release. Its breakout success continues a growing trend of online creators successfully making the jump to Hollywood filmmaking.
With strong word of mouth and a record-breaking debut behind it, Backrooms appears poised to remain a major force at the box office in the weeks ahead.
Have you seen Backrooms yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments.
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