For weeks, there seemed to be little doubt that Kane Parsons’ buzzy horror film Backrooms would set a new opening weekend record for A24. The studio’s previous champion, Civil War, earned just over $25 million in its debut frame, and most industry projections had Backrooms opening at roughly double that amount.
However, based on the numbers coming in from its Thursday preview screenings, even those estimates may have been too conservative. The film has already grossed an impressive $9 million in previews alone. For comparison, Scream 7 earned $7.8 million on its opening night and went on to debut with $64 million domestically. While that franchise had a massive built-in fanbase, Backrooms benefits from significantly stronger reviews, currently boasting a 78% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
As a result, industry observers are beginning to wonder whether Backrooms could open north of $60 million—a figure roughly $20 million higher than my own prediction earlier this week.
Considering that Backrooms reportedly cost less than $10 million to produce, this is shaping up to be one of the most profitable horror releases of the year. It also follows the success of Curry Barker’s breakout hit Obsession, suggesting that 2026 may be remembered as the year filmmakers who built their audiences on YouTube truly broke through into the mainstream.
The success of Backrooms could also give A24 the horror franchise it has long been seeking. If the film performs anywhere near current expectations, don’t be surprised if Backrooms 2 is fast-tracked before long.
I’m assuming many of our readers were among those who bought tickets to Backrooms last night, and I’m curious to hear what you thought.
As I mentioned in my review, I didn’t find the film especially frightening, but I greatly admired the atmosphere Parsons creates. The movie excels as a piece of eerie, unsettling horror, and it’s a remarkably assured debut from such a young filmmaker.
Did Backrooms live up to the hype for you? Let us know in the comments below.