A24 is set to reach a new milestone at the global box office as Kane Parsons’ Backrooms moves past the studio’s previous top performer. The film is expected to overtake the $191.2 million worldwide total previously held by Marty Supreme, giving A24 its highest-grossing title ever.
The achievement comes despite a sharp second-weekend decline in North America. Backrooms is estimated to fall 68% and pull in $25.7 million in its second frame, with domestic total expected to reach $134.8 million by tomorrow.
A fast climb for a fan-driven release
Backrooms is reaching the record in just its first 10 days at the box office, or 11 at most. That pace is far quicker than Marty Supreme, which needed 53 days to replace A24’s long-standing benchmark, Everything Everywhere All at Once, which finished with $147.9 million worldwide.
The speed of the run also stands out because Backrooms had already become A24’s top domestic release earlier in the week. It passed Marty Supreme’s $96 million domestic total in only its first six days, underscoring how quickly the film found an audience.
The release has also shown a clear audience profile. The studio and box office tracking point to a fan-heavy turnout, with 81% of the second-weekend crowd still under 35, which helps explain the steep drop after an intense opening.
Low budget, high return
The box office result is especially notable because Backrooms cost under $10 million to produce. A24 co-financed the film with Chernin Entertainment, while domestic marketing and distribution spending was described as being in the teen millions.
That economics picture makes the film’s performance even more significant for the studio. A title with that budget level reaching nearly $200 million worldwide places Backrooms among A24’s most efficient releases by a wide margin.
Backrooms stars Oscar nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. It was also produced by Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, 21 Laps, and Phobos, adding more recognizable names to a project that started from viral roots.
A24’s record streak continues
The film’s performance means A24 has broken its own record twice in less than a year’s time. Backrooms now follows Marty Supreme and Everything Everywhere All at Once as part of a rapidly changing top tier for the studio’s theatrical business.
The broader box office picture is also strong for several other companies. Lionsgate’s Michael is expected to cross $888 million worldwide this weekend, while Focus Features’ Obsession is heading past $151 million and could challenge that label’s global record as well.
For A24, though, the headline belongs to Backrooms, which has turned a viral-born property into the studio’s biggest theatrical success to date. Its domestic strength, solid foreign turnout of $50.3 million as of yesterday, and unusually fast climb to the top now place it as the company’s new global benchmark.
Read more at: deadline.com
