The Backrooms dominated the U.S. box office over the June 19 weekend with a $81.4 million domestic gross. This marks the highest opening weekend ever for A24, and it made 20-year-old director Kane the youngest to lead a number one box office movie [1].
The film’s success eclipsed fellow genre contender Obsession, a modestly budgeted horror movie that pulled in $26.4 million in its second week of release. Obsession outperformed Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, which grossed $25 million domestically during its second weekend, representing a steep 69% decline from its opening [1].
The Mandalorian’s drop is historic for the franchise, making it the first live-action Star Wars theatrical release to lose the number one box office spot for two consecutive weekends. Its global opening of $167 million in early June was the lowest ever for a Star Wars movie worldwide [2].
Obsession was made on a roughly $1 million budget by a new director and had been in theaters nearly two weeks before overtaking The Mandalorian domestically [2]. Observers note younger audiences appear to prefer fresh horror fare like The Backrooms and Obsession over established sci-fi franchises. Polygon’s reviewer Tasha Robinson praised The Backrooms as "a spectacle-based film environment where it’s easy to forget most of the movies we watch before we’ve even left the theater," adding it "leaves lingering shivers and ongoing anxieties" [1].
Business Insider made a wry comment on Star Wars’ struggles, quoting the franchise’s famous line: "As they say in the 'Star Wars' galaxy: 'I have a bad feeling about this.'" [2]
The Backrooms’ record-breaking opening weekend signals changing audience tastes as studios prepare for upcoming summer releases and franchise developments.
