A24 may have its biggest box office success yet.
The highly anticipated horror film Backrooms stunned industry observers Thursday night. The film pulled in an impressive $10.4 million in preview screenings. This immediately positions the internet-inspired horror phenomenon as one of the biggest surprise hits of 2026.
According to early box office data, the film’s preview haul has already exceeded many analysts’ original expectations. This places it on track for a potentially record-breaking opening weekend for A24.
Directed by 20-year-old filmmaker Kane Parsons, Backrooms began as a viral YouTube horror series that transformed a simple internet creepypasta into one of the most recognizable horror concepts of the past decade. What started as a collection of unsettling videos featuring endless yellow hallways and seemingly infinite office spaces has now evolved into a major theatrical release backed by A24.
The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Clark, a struggling furniture store owner who discovers a portal leading into the mysterious Backrooms, an endless labyrinth of bizarre and terrifying spaces existing outside normal reality. Renate Reinsve co-stars as Clark’s therapist, who becomes entangled in the increasingly disturbing mystery.
Backrooms Continues to Impress
Perhaps even more impressive than the raw preview number is the audience demographic driving the film’s success. Early reports indicate that younger moviegoers have embraced the project in huge numbers. This proves that internet-native horror can successfully transition from online fandom to mainstream theatrical success.
The strong Thursday performance comes after weeks of rapidly increasing box office projections. Industry tracking had already suggested that Backrooms could become one of the surprise hits of the summer. Theaters are reportedly adding additional showtimes to meet growing demand.
Some forecasts now suggest the film could challenge A24’s opening-weekend records and significantly outperform early projections that had initially placed it in the $20 million range.
For A24, the success of Backrooms represents more than just another horror hit. It serves as further proof that viral internet properties can become legitimate theatrical events when paired with the right creative vision. Backrooms could become one of the biggest horror success stories of the year. This could further cement Kane Parsons as one of Hollywood’s most intriguing young directors.
