Kane Parsons’ debut feature Backrooms opens to $81.4 million domestically and $118 million worldwide, topping the global box office in its first weekend.
The result marks the biggest opening in the history of A24, surpassing the previous record set by Alex Garland’s Civil War, which debuted to $25.5 million in 2024.
At 20, Parsons becomes the youngest director to open a film at number one, beating the previous benchmark set by Josh Trank, who was 27 when Chronicle debuted in 2012.
The film significantly outperforms early projections of $40 to $50 million domestically. Made on a budget under $10 million, Backrooms is positioned as one of the most profitable releases of the year.
Co-financed by A24, Chernin Entertainment, Blumhouse Productions, Atomic Monster, 21 Laps Entertainment, and Odd Fellow, the psychological thriller adapts Parsons’ viral “creepypasta” web series originally released on YouTube.
The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as a furniture store owner who discovers a hidden doorway leading to an endless maze of unsettling rooms. When his character disappears, a therapist, played by Renate Reinsve, ventures into the unknown to find him.
Its $118 million global debut also surpasses the $97.1 million opening of Scream 7, setting a new 2026 benchmark for horror releases. The film further records the biggest opening weekend for an original horror title and the strongest debut for a first-time director on a non-franchise project.
While no sequel has been officially announced, Parsons has indicated interest in expanding the story into a franchise.
