The most reliable box office tracker out there does not come from the trades, or writers for a notable box-office site; rather, it’s an X account that goes by the name EmpireCity Box Office. A former exhibitor with tons of industry and tracking contacts, his latest prediction should absolutely be noted.
The update is about Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms,” which had been tracking well already but is now projected to open at a floor of $35M on its opening weekend, and could very well hit $50M or more. Presales are matching those of “Scream 7,” which opened with around $64M.
“Backrooms” is now destined to smash A24’s opening weekend record, which is currently held by Alex Garland’s “Civil War” ($25.7M). All this on a budget that I’m hearing was only in the $8M range. Unbelievable.
Reviews for the film are still under embargo, but they will lift early next week. If they are positive, then the sky’s the limit for this one; if they’re negative, I’m sure A24 will be perfectly content with a $35M+ opening, which would still be a record for them.
Parsons is part of an incoming wave of YouTubers making the jump to cinema. This movement is very real and will not let up anytime soon. It’s practically redefining the way studio execs think and act when it comes to potential greenlights.
Over the last few years, it’s been relentless. Hollywood is hiring very young online creators, handing them multimillion-dollar budgets, and it’s resulted in some genuinely interesting work—all of which have become indie hits at the box office. So far this decade, we’ve had Parsons (“Backrooms”), Curry Barker (“Obsession”), RackaRacka (“Talk to Me”), Chris Stuckmann (“Shelby Oaks”), Markiplier (“Iron Lung”), and many more still to come.
The “Backrooms” cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, and Avan Jogia. Roberto Patino (“DMZ”) wrote the screenplay, while Shawn Levy and James Wan are among the film’s many producers.
“Backrooms” hits screens on May 29.