‘Backrooms’ smashes box office records with $81M debut

A horror film born from an internet urban legend has rewritten Hollywood history.

“Backrooms,” the A24 thriller directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, opened to $81.4 million domestically and $118 million worldwide in its debut weekend, setting multiple records and stunning an industry that had projected a far more modest opening just weeks earlier.

The film traces its origins to a creepypasta internet horror story that spawned a viral YouTube series — directed by Mr. Parsons himself, then 16, using Blender and Unreal Engine — which amassed 190 million views before A24 greenlit a feature adaptation. On screen, it follows a furniture store owner who discovers a portal to an otherworldly dimension in his showroom. The cast includes Oscar nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, Emmy winner Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett and Avan Jogia.

The records it set span director, distributor and the broader genre. Mr. Parsons, at 20, is now the youngest filmmaker to helm a No. 1 film globally, and holds the record for the largest opening weekend by a first-time feature director on an original film. “Backrooms” also delivered A24’s biggest opening weekend ever — more than triple the studio’s previous record of $25.5 million, set by Alex Garland’s “Civil War” in 2024 — and ranks as the all-time top opening for a horror film built on original IP rather than a studio franchise or pre-existing literary property. The film also lands in the all-time top 15 among R-rated domestic openings.

That distinction is notable given the competition. “It” opened to $123 million domestically; “It: Chapter Two” followed with $91 million. “The Conjuring: Last Rites” logged $84 million, and “Five Nights at Freddy’s” opened to $80 million. All are adaptations or sequels. “Backrooms,” drawing from Mr. Parsons’ self-built online universe rather than a major franchise or novel, came in at $81.5 million.

The result obliterated forecasts. Box Office Theory had estimated a $30 million to $45 million debut as of May 21, a figure that rose to $50 million to $68 million by May 27 before analysts revised upward again on opening day.