Indie Horror Film "Backrooms" Stuns w/ $81 Million Debut

[JamesG]

Backrooms Stuns with $81 Million Debut, Obsession has Another Unprecedented Jump, The Mandalorian and Grogu Suffers 70% Drop
by Rebecca Rubin
May 31, 2026


This weekend was one for the box office history books. Movie theaters across the nation were jamming with Gen Z crowds, who showed up en masse for not one but two buzzy horror films.

A24’s Backrooms collected a jaw-dropping, record-breaking $81 million from 3,442 North American theaters in its opening weekend. That’s as ticket sales for the Focus Features breakout Obsession jumped again in its third frame with $26.4 million from 2,781 cinemas — and crossed the $100 million mark domestically.

Both movies were directed by YouTube stars and cost nearly nothing to produce, upending conventional wisdom about the necessary components for a hit.




Disney’s The Mandalorian and Grogu suffered a catastrophic 70% drop in its second weekend, signaling the property isn’t catering beyond an aging group of core fans.

Despite playing on far more screens, The Mandalorian and Grogu landed in third place on weekend charts behind Backrooms and Obsession.




Sony’s PG family comedy The Breadwinner and Focus Features’ war drama Pressure — fell short of expectations.

The Breadwinner rounded out the top five on North American charts with $7.5 million from 2,352 theaters. Comedian Nate Bargatze plays a husband who agrees to become a stay-at-home dad when his wife lands a deal on Shark Tank.




Pressure landed behind Lionsgate’s musical biopic Michael, which is in its sixth weekend of release. The film brought in $11.7 million over the weekend.

So far, the Michael Jackson biopic has earned $339.9 million in North America and a mighty $851.3 million globally.




WWII drama Pressure, starring Brendan Fraser as Dwight D. Eisenhower during the tense 72 hours leading up to D-Day, debuted at No. 7 with a soft $5.4 million from 1,829 venues.

https://variety.com/2026/film/box-of...es-1236763355/




May 29-31, 2026: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Backrooms $81,456,295
2. Obsession $26,400,000 / $104,757,650
3. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu $25,000,000 / $137,368,604
4. Michael $11,700,000 / $339,903,243
5. The Breadwinner $7,500,000
6. The Devil Wears Prada 2 $5,900,000 / $209,351,594
7. Pressure $5,750,000
8. The Sheep Detectives $4,632,804 / $54,536,613
9. Passenger $2,600,000 / $15,269,276
10. Mortal Kombat II $2,000,000 / $77,767,462

[dakert]

What is the deal with Backrooms? I just hear about good cinematography and acting but not much about the story