Overview
- Backrooms, which opened over the May 29–31 weekend, earned roughly $81.4–81.5 million domestically and about $118 million worldwide, giving A24 its biggest opening ever and the largest debut for an original horror film.
- Obsession posted an unusual third-weekend gain of about 10 percent to roughly $26.4 million, pushing its domestic total past $100 million and making it one of Focus Features’ top earners.
- Both films were directed by young YouTube creators—20-year-old Kane Parsons (Backrooms) and 26-year-old Curry Barker (Obsession)—whose online followings helped drive strong turnout, especially among viewers under 35.
- Because Backrooms cost about $10 million to make and Obsession was made for under $1 million, their openings deliver outsized profitability that is expected to accelerate sequel talks and wider international rollouts.
- The pair’s success forced a steep drop for the Star Wars release The Mandalorian and Grogu and has studios rethinking how they find talent, program summer slates, and finance lower-budget, creator-driven projects.