UMVA has learned that a groundbreaking horror film, Backrooms, has shattered box office records with a staggering $118 million opening weekend, catapulting its young director, Kane Parsons, to unprecedented success.
The 20-year-old first-time director has made history with the biggest-ever opening weekend for an original horror film, raking in $81.4 million domestically and $118 million globally in just three days. This monumental achievement has left industry experts stunned and fans thrilled.
Parsons' film has not only broken records but also rewritten the rules for debut directors. He is now the youngest filmmaker to helm a number one movie at the box office and boasts the largest opening weekend for a debut director on an original feature, regardless of genre.
Backrooms, a sci-fi/psychological horror film inspired by Parsons' web series of the same name, tells the story of a furniture store owner and his therapist who stumble upon a mysterious dimension of seemingly limitless rooms in the basement of his shop. The film's modest budget of $10 million has yielded an astonishing return, outstripping hopes of a $90 million opening weekend.
The film's success has also brought A24 its largest opening weekend, surpassing previous record holder Civil War's $25.5 million. Backrooms has already earned more than half of the studio's highest-grossing film, Marty Supreme's $191 million global run.
Meanwhile, another original horror film, Obsession, has been making waves with its remarkable performance. Directed by YouTuber Curry Barker, the film has already made back nearly 200 times its original $750,000 budget, raking in $148 million at the box office.
Obsession's success has been fueled by its word-of-mouth popularity and excellent reviews, with critics praising its "wildly entertaining" and "wickedly clever" storytelling. The film is now projected to earn as much as $250 million before its theatrical run comes to an end.
The triumph of Backrooms and Obsession has sent shockwaves through the film industry, with actor Mark Duplass celebrating the success of these YouTube-born films as a "glimmer of hope" for Hollywood. Duplass believes that these films demonstrate the democratized access to technology and the potential for creators to build an audience and make a splash at the box office.
As the film industry continues to evolve, one thing is clear: original horror films are thriving, and young creators like Kane Parsons and Curry Barker are leading the charge.
