A24’s ‘Backrooms’ opens to $81M, leads box office surge

[Fearful little friends watching a crime film in cinema.]
skynesher/E+ via Getty Images

A24's horror thriller _Backrooms_ dominated the North American box office over the weekend, opening to an estimated $81.5 million and helping push total domestic ticket sales to roughly $179 million, up 20% from the same weekend a year earlier, according to Comscore.

The film, directed by 20-year-old filmmaker Kane Parsons, debuted in 3,442 theaters and generated one of the strongest openings of the year. The performance also made Parsons the youngest director to helm a No. 1 film globally, according to distributor-reported figures.

The strong debut gave theaters a much-needed boost heading into the summer movie season. Domestic box office revenue for 2026 has now reached nearly $3.69 billion through May, up more than 11% from the same period last year.

HORROR CONTINUES TO DRAW AUDIENCES

_Backrooms_ significantly outperformed every other title in release, earning more than three times the weekend gross of the second-place film.

Focus Features' supernatural thriller _Obsession_ remained a standout performer in its third weekend, grossing $26.4 million and raising its domestic total to nearly $105 million. The film actually increased ticket sales by more than 10% from the prior weekend, an unusual feat for a wide release. Distributor data noted that, excluding Christmas releases, it is the first film since 1982 to post box office gains in both its second and third weekends.

Disney's (DIS [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/DIS]) _Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu_ placed third with $25 million in its second weekend. The film has now earned approximately $137.4 million domestically and $246.6 million worldwide.

‘MICHAEL’ APPROACHES $1 BILLION WORLDWIDE

Lionsgate's (LION [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LION]) Michael Jackson biopic _Michael_ continued its strong run, collecting $11.7 million in its sixth weekend. The film's domestic total reached nearly $340 million while worldwide receipts climbed to approximately $851 million.

Among new releases, Sony's (SONY [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SONY]) family comedy _The Breadwinner_, starring comedian Nate Bargatze in his first feature-film lead role, opened with $7.5 million. Focus Features' World War II drama _Pressure_ debuted with $5.75 million from 1,829 locations.

Smaller releases also drew attention. Lionsgate's _Power Ballad_, starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, generated $170,000 from just 10 theaters ahead of a wider rollout next weekend.

SUMMER SEASON RAMPS UP

The strong weekend comes as exhibitors prepare for a busy early June schedule. Upcoming releases include Amazon MGM's (AMZN [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/AMZN]) _Masters of the Universe_, Paramount's (PSKY [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PSKY]) _Scary Movie_ reboot and Lionsgate's (LION [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LION]) nationwide expansion of _Power Ballad_.

Comscore estimated the industry's total three-day domestic box office at $178.9 million, essentially flat with the previous weekend and 20% higher than the comparable frame in 2025.

TOP 10 DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE MOVIES (MAY 29–31, 2026)

RANK

FILM

WEEKEND GROSS

1

Backrooms

$81.5 million

2

Obsession

$26.4 million

3

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

$25.0 million

4

Michael

$11.7 million

5

The Breadwinner

$7.5 million

6

The Devil Wears Prada 2

$5.9 million

7

Pressure

$5.75 million

8

The Sheep Detectives

$4.63 million

9

Passenger

$2.6 million

10

Mortal Kombat II

$2.0 million

Click to enlarge
Source: Comscore weekend studio estimates.

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