The 2026 movie schedule now holds yet another box office hit, and it’s Backrooms! Adapted from Kane Parsons’ web series and the creepypasta of the same name, the flick hit theaters at the end of May and has since hit some milestones for A24 and the entertainment industry as a whole. The film’s success is arguably one of the biggest entertainment-related stories of the year thus far and, unsurprisingly, people within the industry are abuzz. And, amongst some industry workers, this success reportedly provides them with a bit of catharsis.
Backrooms earned a whopping $81.5 million domestically during its opening weekend and $118 million globally. It was a source present at a meeting of the 3 Arts management firm (which represents Parsons) who said the film’s success felt “cathartic,” per Puck. That feeling apparently stems from the fact that such a niche property is drawing audiences to cinemas in a landscape still dominated by major IPs. While speaking to that point, that same insider also shared thoughts on how a success story like this could affect studio bigwigs:
