Young YouTubers dominate box office with ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’
‘Obsession’ trailer
Trailer of Focus’s horror movie “Obsession” starring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette. Directed by Curry Barker.
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Young YouTubers are making a big impact at the box office.
Twenty-year-old Kane Parsons became the youngest director to reach No. 1 at the box office with his new horror movie “Back Rooms,” which grossed a whopping $81 million.
“Back Rooms” is a big-screen adaptation of Parsons’ 2022 movie-style web series, inspired by a 2019 image posted on social platform 4chan. The series follows a group of scientists who discover a spooky dimension that comes in the form of seemingly never-ending empty indoor spaces.
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“Back Rooms”, starring Renate Reinsve, earned a whopping $81 million in its opening weekend. (Courtesy of A24)
The YouTube account called Kane Pixels has more than 3 million subscribers. And the first episode of the “Back Rooms” series was watched more than 81 million times.
Starring Oscar-nominated actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, Parsons’ feature film reportedly had a budget of $10 million and initial estimates were that it would gross $20 million in its opening weekend. But as the release date steadily approached, estimates began to explode, shooting towards $40-50 million and only moving upwards.
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Diversity reported According to PostTrak data, “almost 85% of viewers” were under 35 and “more than 50% were 25 or younger.” It would quickly become independent entertainment company A24’s highest-grossing film.
“This is a remarkable achievement that pushes into seats beyond measure,” said Rotten Tomatoes box office writer Erick Childress. reacted.
20-year-old “Back Rooms” director Kane Parsons, known on YouTube as Kane Pixels, is now the youngest director to have a No. 1 movie at the box office. (Lisa O’Connor/AFP via Getty Images)
Parsons isn’t the only creator defying the odds at the box office. Twenty-six-year-old writer/director Curry Barker first made a splash last month with the low-budget horror film “Obsession.” It earned $17 million in its opening weekend, shattering box office estimates of bringing in less than $10 million.
Barker is part of the sketch comedy duo “That’s a Bad Idea,” which has more than 1 million followers on YouTube and TikTok.
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“Obsession” went on to do the nearly impossible; it made more money the following weekend, earning nearly $24 million ($30 million including Memorial Day); It was up a whopping 39% from its opening weekend, beating out much bigger films like “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and Michael Jackson biopic “Michael.” It even beat out the new Star Wars movie “The Mandalorian and Grogu” last Wednesday.
And “Obsession” is in its third weekend even more It grossed $26 million last weekend.
Directed by 26-year-old content creator Curry Barker, “Obsession” shattered box office norms over the next two weekends, making increasingly more money than it did in its opening weekend. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
“It did something no movie has done since 2000,” Childress wrote. “You can go back to the ’80s to find summer movies like ‘ET’ and ‘Superman II’ that did it. Even R-rated movies like ‘Risky Business,’ ‘The Untouchables,’ ‘No Way Out’ and ‘Ruthless Men.’ But not in modern times and among the widely released movies.”
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“Obsession” is about a young man who uses a new toy to make a wish for a friend he likes to fall in love with him, only to realize that his wish quickly backfires.
The film, which featured a mostly unknown cast and cost less than $1 million to produce, grossed over $100 million domestically and over $150 million worldwide.
“Obsession,” a Focus Features release, stars Inde Navarrette as Nikki and Michael Johnston as Bear. (Courtesy of Focus Properties / © 2026 Focus Properties LLC)
“Backrooms” and “Obsession,” both produced by horror financier Jason Blum of BlumHouse Productions, finished third at the box office, beating out “The Mandalorian and Grogu” and suffering a staggering 69% from an already lackluster opening weekend.
“It won’t be as big a financial loss as ‘Solo,’ but ultimately grossing less than this movie worldwide may require a course correction.” [Star Wars] franchise,” Childress said.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” grossed $25 million domestically last weekend, trailing two horror movies. While the Jon Favreau-directed film probably won’t be considered a box office bomb due to its $165 million budget (it’s grossed $250 million worldwide so far), it will likely be the worst-performing Star Wars movie ever at the box office.
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The new Star Wars movie “The Mandalorian and Grogu” dropped a staggering 69% at the box office from its opening weekend, finishing third behind low-budget horror flicks “Backrooms” and “Obsession.” (Courtesy of Lucasfilm. © 2026 Lucasfilm Ltd™. All Rights Reserved.)
Disappointing numbers from the latest Star Wars movie may make Disney executives nervous, especially since another Star Wars movie starring Ryan Gosling is planned for next year.
Meanwhile, “Back Rooms” and “Obsession” will be considered two of the most profitable films of the year.
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