Gen Z Horror Films Outshine Star Wars at Weekend Box Office

A surprising shift has occurred at the box office, as young audiences flocked to cinemas across the country this weekend, not for a major franchise blockbuster, but for low-budget horror films born from the internet. While the big-budget Star Wars movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu, saw a sharp decline in its second weekend, two independent features, helmed by first-time filmmakers who rose to prominence online, captivated viewers.

Backrooms Breaks Records

Backrooms, released by A24 across 3,442 locations in the US and Canada, achieved an astonishing $81.5 million in its opening three days, according to studio estimates. This figure is just shy of what The Mandalorian and Grogu earned in its debut weekend. Remarkably, Backrooms, directed and co-written by 20-year-old YouTube creator Kane Parsons, was produced for a mere $10 million. Its global takings already stand at $118 million, making Parsons the youngest director to helm a global number one film and marking a record opening for A24, surpassing their previous high of $25.5 million for Civil War in 2024.

Obsession Continues Strong Performance

The success of Backrooms did not hinder Obsession, another directorial debut from a YouTuber, 26-year-old Curry Barker. Three weekends in, Obsession, a movie that cost less than $1 million to make, still hasn’t dropped below its opening weekend earnings. This weekend, it was up 10 per cent 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.

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Internet Origins and Young Audiences

Backrooms originated as a "creepypasta" – an internet-generated urban legend – before Parsons adapted the concept of an endless expanse of dull rooms and hallways into a viral web series using open-source 3D graphics software. This caught the attention of James Wan and Shawn Levy’s production companies, leading to a film adaptation starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. The R-rated film garnered positive critical reviews and attracted a notably young and diverse audience, with exit polls indicating 86 per cent of viewers were under 35, over half under 25, and 44 per cent under 21. Despite a B- CinemaScore, reports of sold-out shows and repeat viewings were widespread.

Industry Implications

While The Mandalorian and Grogu plummeted by approximately 69 per cent from its opening weekend, now standing at $246.6 million globally, the unexpected triumphs of Backrooms and Obsession suggest that YouTube might not be the demise of traditional cinema, but rather a burgeoning new hope for the industry. Luis Olloqui, the CEO of Cinépolis USA, which operates 26 theaters across the country — most of which are dine-in — said they’ve seen sellouts at many of their locations for both movies. "We were a little worried that they would be competing for the same audience. It’s not the case," Olloqui said. "It shows that when we have the right content, people from all ages are willing to go to the theater."

Other Weekend Releases

This weekend also saw the debuts of The Breadwinner, a family comedy starring Nate Bargatze, and Pressure, a World War II drama featuring Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser. Michael landed in fourth place with $11.7 million in its sixth weekend — the musical biopic has made $339.9 million domestically to date. The Breadwinner, released by Sony, rounded out the top five with an estimated $7.5 million. Pressure opened in seventh place with $5.8 million. Outside of the top 10 was the heist-romance Tuner, which expanded to 452 theaters in its second weekend, earning a solid $1.7 million.

Expert Commentary

"Everyone’s asking what’s the next big thing in Hollywood for movies, and what can bring people back to the movie theater? And this may be it," said Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Comscore.

Top 10 Movies by Domestic Box Office

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: