New Horror Movie—With 20-Year-Old Director—Could Beat ‘Mandalorian’ At The Box Office

BreakingBusinessNew Horror Movie—With 20-Year-Old Director—Could Beat ‘Mandalorian’ At The Box OfficeByMary Whitfill Roeloffs,Forbes Staff. Mary Roeloffs is a Forbes breaking news reporter covering pop culture.Follow AuthorMay 29, 2026, 01:12pm EDTToplineA new horror movie based on a popular YouTube series has already broken records in previews for cult-favorite film studio A24, and its weekend performance could see it top the latest Star Wars theatrical release in what would be a resounding victory for its 20-year-old debut director. Renate Reinsve in "The Backrooms." A24Key Facts“The Backrooms,” a psychological horror movie based on a popular Youtube series of the same name, grossed $10.4 million in Thursday box office previews, Variety reported. That draw shatters the preview record for A24, previously held by the $2.9 million "Civil War" grossed in its Thursday preview in 2024, and sets it up to break the studio’s record in its wider release. “Backrooms” is expected to top original opening weekend projections of $40 million to $50 million, setting it up to surpass Star Wars’ “Mandalorian and Grogu” from Disney, which will likely make about $40 million in its second weekend.The success of “Backrooms,” 20-year-old Kane Parsons’ first turn as director, comes on the heels of another horror’s surprising debut as the breakout hit of the summer. “Obsession,” directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker, has grossed more than $68 million domestically—miles beyond its $750,000 and $1 million budget—and achieved a "virtually unprecedented” spike in its second weekend. “Obsession” is expected to make another $15 million to $20 million in its third weekend. if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var script = iframeDoc.createElement('script'); script.src = '//cd.elements.video/player...