👻 Horror Hits Dominate the Global Box Office
A wave of IT and YouTube nostalgia has swept the global box office, turning into a massively successful business case. Director Kane Parsons’ thriller The Backrooms, which evolved from a viral internet phenomenon, made a triumphant international debut, grossing $118 million in its opening weekend.
Of that total, $36 million came from overseas markets (outside North America), allowing the A24 production to outpace the opening weekends of major franchises like Scream 7 ($33.1 million internationally) and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.
The picture topped the box office in over 30 countries. In Latin America, the film brought in $12.7 million, tripling A24’s previous opening records in the region. The horror film also claimed the number-one spot in the UK with a $5.6 million haul, marking the biggest horror opening of the year so far. Strong performances were also recorded in Australia and New Zealand ($4.4 million), South Korea ($2.7 million), and Italy ($2 million). Next weekend, The Backrooms is set to open for audiences in Russia and the CIS, Spain, and several Asian markets.
The robust demand for content born on the internet is further validated by the success of another horror title, Focus Features’ Obsession, whose global box office has reached $148 million.
Meanwhile, industry heavyweights continue to dominate the overall year-to-date standings: the animated hit The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is closing in on the billion-dollar milestone at $991.7 million, while the biographical drama Michael has amassed a box office lifetime gross of $846.2 million, confidently tracking to become the highest-grossing musical biopic in history.
Source: Deadline
