'Backrooms' shocks with record opening weekend, tops 'Star Wars'

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYSun, May 31, 2026 at 4:19 PM UTC

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YouTubers in their 20s are shaking things up in Hollywood.

"Backrooms," the new horror movie based on an internet meme, has stunned box office analysts with a record opening weekend. The film, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve and directed by 20-year-old YouTuber Kane Parsons, grossed a jaw-dropping $81.5 million at the domestic box office in its first three days of release, according to estimates released by Comscore on Sunday, May 31.

Not only is that far above earlier projections, but it's an opening similar to that of the latest "Star Wars" movie, "The Mandalorian and Grogu," which took in $81.7 million in its first three days on a holiday weekend.

Chiwetel Ejiofor in "Backrooms," the horror movie that had a record opening weekend at the box office.

"Backrooms" also posted easily the biggest opening weekend in the history of A24, a record previously held by "Civil War," which started with $25.5 million in 2024.

"Backrooms" is an adaptation of Parsons' popular web series about characters exploring a creepy alternate dimension, which consists of an endless series of sparse rooms. The YouTube series, which Parsons created largely on his laptop while still in high school, was itself inspired by an anonymous internet comment that turned the idea of the Backrooms into a meme. Parsons is A24's youngest director ever and made the movie on a $10 million budget.

"Backrooms" isn't the only horror movie from a young director having a remarkable box office run.

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"Obsession" is also killing it as a word-of-mouth sensation. The movie, about a young man whose wish for his crush to love him goes wrong, has pulled off the unusual feat of grossing more in subsequent weekends than it did in its debut. The film collected $17 million in its first weekend, but in its third weekend, it took in $26.4 million, per Comscore. That was enough to put it in the No. 2 position this weekend, after "Backrooms."

Like "Backrooms," "Obsession" was also helmed by a YouTuber, 26-year-old Curry Barker.

Coming in at No. 3 was "The Mandalorian and Grogu." The first new "Star Wars" movie since 2019, "Mandalorian" was widely expected to remain No. 1 at the box office. Instead, it fell sharply to gross $25 million in its second weekend, a potentially troubling sign for a film series looking to regain its footing in movie theaters after a long absence.

The success of "Backrooms" and "Obsession" could have major ramifications for the movie industry, suggesting established franchises like "Star Wars" may not be the surefire box-office bets they once were.

Audiences, at least in the horror space, seem hungry for fresher ideas. With the arrival of young talent like Parsons and Barker, it appears a new era for Hollywood is here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Backrooms' movie box office shocks, beats 'Star Wars'

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”