YouTube Smash Backrooms Goes No. 1 in Theaters

Young audiences turned out in droves to movie theaters around the country this weekend. It wasn't for the big-budget Star Wars film, The Mandalorian and Grogu—which fell sharply in its second weekend—but for a small-budget horror from a 20-year-old first-time filmmaker that began on the internet. Backrooms, released by A24 in 3,442 locations in the US and Canada, made an astonishing $81.5 million in its first three days in theaters, according to studio estimates on Sunday. That's just a few hundred thousand dollars shy of what The Mandalorian and Grogu earned in its first three days last weekend, the AP reports. And Backrooms, which was directed and co-written by YouTube creator Kane Parsons, cost only $10 million to produce.

Backrooms started as a creepypasta—an internet-generated urban legend—before Parsons turned the concept, about a never-ending expanse of dull, depressing rooms and hallways, into a viral web series using open-source 3D graphics software Blender. It caught the attention of James Wan and Shawn Levy's production companies, and soon a movie was in development with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve starring. It wasn't just a domestic hit: Including international showings, Backrooms has made $118 million globally. A24 said Parsons is now the youngest director to have a No. 1 film globally. Exit polls showed 86% of the audience was under 35 and 44% were under 21. Many attended in groups, and there were reports of sold-out shows, packed theaters, and repeat viewings. The R-rated film was well-reviewed by critics; audiences gave it a less-than-stellar B- CinemaScore, however.

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. Backrooms, $81.5 million.
2. Obsession, $26.4 million.
3. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, $25 million.
4. Michael, $11.7 million.
5. The Breadwinner, $7.5 million.
6. The Devil Wears Prada 2, $5.9 million.
7. Pressure, $5.8 million.
8. The Sheep Detectives, $4.6 million.
9. Passenger, $2.6 million.
10. Mortal Kombat II, $2 million.