Backrooms roared into theaters this weekend, delivering a record‑setting debut for A24. Early estimates peg the opening around $80 million, with some insiders nudging it toward the $90 million mark. The feature adapts Kane Parsons’s viral YouTube short into a full‑length film, centering on a failed architect who discovers an endless maze of rooms inside a furniture store.
Opening day sales approached $38 million, counting Thursday previews. The crowd skews younger, with roughly 86% under 35 and more than half under 25, signaling strong word‑of‑mouth from a cinema‑savvy, younger audience.
Obsession scales a new box‑office milestone in its third weekend
Meanwhile, Focus’ Obsession, a tiny‑budget surprise from Curry Barker, is rewriting the playbook. Now in its third weekend, it’s expected to rise about 19% from last weekend and pull in around $28.5 million, potentially lifting domestic totals to about $106.8 million and cementing the film as Focus’ top North American earner.
The buzz around Obsession has also sparked fresh industry attention on Barker’s next project as he continues work on Anything But Ghosts and contemplates a Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot for A24.
Star Wars and other contenders
On the studio front, The Mandalorian and Grogu look to add roughly $24 million in their second weekend, contributing to a global tally near $171 million. The film’s reported $165 million budget sits in a mid‑range for Star Wars, and insiders emphasize that merchandise, parks and streaming visibility help drive its overall impact beyond box office alone.
Among new releases, Nate Bargatze’s The Breadwinner targets a top‑five finish with around $7.5 million. Critics have been mixed—Rotten Tomatoes sits around 32%—yet audiences have given it an A‑ Cinemascore, offering hope for staying power.
Focus’s WWII drama Pressure, led by Brendan Fraser and Andrew Scott, is aiming for about $5.4 million, trailing The Devil Wears Prada 2 as the weekend unfolds.
Source: Original article
