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YouTuber Makes Historic Hollywood Debut with "Backrooms"
The horror film drew 81.4 million dollars domestically as viral marketing and fan interest helped drive A24’s biggest opening.
- A24's Backrooms shattered box office records on its opening weekend with $81.5 million domestically and $118 million globally, marking the largest debut in studio history.
- Directed by 20-year-old YouTube phenom Kane Parsons, the film adapts his viral web series about liminal spaces—eerie, seemingly endless rooms that gained traction on Reddit and TikTok.
- Nearly 85% of audiences were under age 35, with 50% aged 25 or younger. A24 and Chernin Entertainment co-financed the film for roughly $10 million, delivering immediate profitability.
- The success signals major disruption in Hollywood as studios increasingly recruit creators with built-in audiences. Both Backrooms and the recent hit Obsession hailed from YouTube creators, establishing a new industry pattern.
- "We have an obligation to figure out how to attract this audience," Backrooms producer Peter Chernin tells Deadline, as the trend dispels pandemic-era fears that younger viewers had abandoned theaters.
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This 20-Year-Old Started Making YouTube Videos in High School — His First Movie Made $118 Million Over the Weekend
Kane Parsons turned his viral "Backrooms" YouTube series into the No. 1 movie in America, beating a "Star Wars" spinoff on its opening weekend.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Left
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left
45% Left
L 45%
C 33%
R 22%
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