YouTubers Dominating Box Office: 'Backrooms' and 'Obsession' Top the Charts
YouTube creators are making waves in Hollywood, with 'Backrooms' and 'Obsession' leading the box office. Find out how these directors are changing cinema.
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The YouTube-to-prestige-horror pipeline is looking very strong this weekend as two films directed by YouTubers have taken the No. 1 and No. 2 spots at the box office. 'Backrooms,' a feature film expansion of Kane Parsons' series, is leading with an estimated $81 million opening weekend, while 'Obsession,' directed by Curry Barker, is impressively growing its audience.
'Backrooms,' featuring eerie found footage of a mysterious and physics-defying office space, has been drawing in audiences since its release. Directed by Parsons, it's bringing in more than the previous record holder for indie studio A24 — 'Civil War,' which made $25.7 million in its first weekend.
Following close behind is 'Obsession,' a horror film about a romantic wish gone wrong, directed by Curry Barker. It has managed to grow from its second weekend to the third, making it the first film since 1982 to achieve this feat. The movie has already made $26.4 million in its first three weekends and is expected to continue growing.
These directors are breaking new ground, with 'Backrooms' taking the No. 1 spot at the box office and 'Obsession' showing incredible growth. These films follow the success of 'Iron Lung,' a video game adaptation directed by Mark Fischbach — better known under his YouTube account name Markiplier.
According to Alex DelVecchio, general manager of Rutgers Cinema, these YouTubers stand out due to their longevity and loyal following. Despite their youth, Parsons (20) and Barker (26), along with Fischbach, have managed to make the leap from YouTube content creators to mainstream filmmakers.
