{"id":905,"date":"2026-05-31T18:12:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T18:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=905"},"modified":"2026-05-31T18:12:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T18:12:52","slug":"youtuber-box-office-boom-backrooms-and-obsession-draw-gen-z-to-theaters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=905","title":{"rendered":"YouTuber box office boom: \u2018Backrooms\u2019 and \u2018Obsession\u2019 draw Gen Z to theaters"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By LINDSEY BAHR<\/p>\n

Young audiences turned out in droves to movie theaters around the country this weekend. It wasn\u2019t for the big budget \u201cStar Wars\u201d movie, \u201cThe Mandalorian and Grogu, \u201d which fell sharply in its second weekend, however, but for a small budget horror from a 20-year-old first-time filmmaker that began on the internet.<\/p>\n

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\u201cBackrooms,\u201d released by A24 in 3,442 locations in the U.S. and Canada, made an astonishing $81.5 million in its first three days in theaters, according to studio estimates on Sunday. That\u2019s just a few hundred thousand dollars shy of what \u201cThe Mandalorian and Grogu\u201d earned in its first three days last weekend; And \u201cBackrooms,\u201d which was directed and co-written by YouTube creator Kane Parsons, cost only $10 million to produce.<\/p>\n

The wild success of \u201cBackrooms\u201d didn\u2019t even hurt \u201cObsession,\u201d which is also the directorial debut of a YouTuber, Curry Barker, who is only 26. Three weekends in, \u201cObsession,\u201d a movie that cost less than $1 million to make, still hasn\u2019t dropped below its opening weekend earnings. This weekend, it was up 10% with another $26.4 million for a second-place finish, leaving Star Wars, the legacy franchise movie from the veteran filmmaker and the Walt Disney Studios, in third with $25 million.<\/p>\n

YouTube might not be the death of movie theaters after all. If this weekend is any indication, it could be the industry\u2019s new great hope.<\/p>\n

This is a weekend where theaters also hosted the debuts of \u201cThe Breadwinner,\u201d a PG-rated family comedy starring the popular comedian Nate Bargatze, and \u201cPressure,\u201d a solid World War II drama about the tense 72 hours before D-Day with Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser. But it was the 20-something YouTubers that drew the most crowds.<\/p>\n

\u201cBackrooms\u201d started as a creepypasta \u2014 an internet-generated urban legend \u2014 before Parsons turned the concept, about a never-ending expanse of dull, depressing rooms and hallways, into a viral web series, which he made with the help of the open-source 3D graphics software Blender. It caught the attention of James Wan and Shawn Levy\u2019s production companies who were interested in taking it to the next level; Soon a movie was in development with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve starring.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t just a domestic hit either; Including international showings, \u201cBackrooms\u201d has already made $118 million globally. A24 said Parsons is now the youngest director to have a No. 1 film globally. It\u2019s also a record opening for the studio, whose previous high-water mark was \u201cCivil War,\u201d which opened to $25.5 million in 2024.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n

The R-rated film was well-reviewed by critics and drew a young and diverse crowd to theaters. According to exit polls, 86% of the audience was under 35, more than half were under 25 and 44% were under 21. Many attended in groups and there were reports of sold-out shows, packed theaters and repeat viewings. Audiences gave it a less-than-stellar B- CinemaScore, however.<\/p>\n

\u201cObsession,\u201d which has now made $104.7 million in North America, is now Focus Features\u2019 highest grossing domestic release. \u201cThe Mandalorian and Grogu,\u201d meanwhile, fell around 69% from its opening last weekend. The movie has now made $246.6 million globally.<\/p>\n

\u201cMichael\u201d landed in fourth place with $11.7 million in its sixth weekend \u2014 the musical biopic has made $339.9 million domestically to date. \u201cThe Breadwinner,\u201d released by Sony, rounded out the top five with an estimated $7.5 million. \u201dPressure\u201d opened in seventh place with $5.8 million.<\/p>\n

Outside of the top 10 was the heist-romance \u201cTuner,\u201d which expanded to 452 theaters in its second weekend, earning a solid $1.7 million.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Top 10 movies by domestic box office<\/h4>\n

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:<\/p>\n

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1. \u201cBackrooms,\u201d $81.5 million.<\/p>\n

2. \u201cObsession,\u201d $26.4 million.<\/p>\n

3. \u201cStar Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,\u201d $25 million.<\/p>\n

4. \u201cMichael,\u201d $11.7 million.<\/p>\n

5. \u201cThe Breadwinner,\u201d $7.5 million.<\/p>\n

6. \u201cThe Devil Wears Prada 2,\u201d $5.9 million.<\/p>\n

7. \u201cPressure,\u201d $5.8 million.<\/p>\n

8. \u201cThe Sheep Detectives,\u201d $4.6 million.<\/p>\n

9. \u201cPassenger,\u201d $2.6 million.<\/p>\n

10. \u201cMortal Kombat II,\u201d $2 million.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cBackrooms,\u201d released by A24 in 3,442 locations in the U.S. and Canada, made an astonishing $81.5 million in its first three days in theaters, according to studio estimates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":904,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"\nYouTuber box office boom: \u2018Backrooms\u2019 and \u2018Obsession\u2019 draw Gen Z to theaters - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=905\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"YouTuber box office boom: \u2018Backrooms\u2019 and \u2018Obsession\u2019 draw Gen Z to theaters - 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