EXCLUSIVE: Following the $118M opening for A24’s Backrooms, yes, of course there will be a sequel. Filmmaker and face of Backrooms Kane Parsons has made no secret on the press tour for the film about his desire to expand into a feature anthology, and that he’s taken the IP as far as possible on YouTube.
But what’s up with the sequel, this minute, right now? Especially after this weekend’s monumental success? Sources tell us that Parsons is looking for a screenwriting collaborator to work on the sequel with. That’s the state that the Backrooms sequel is in right now. So, stay tuned. Parsons’ contract for more Backrooms resides with A24, we’re told. Again, it’s super early, so no star attachments or green lights as of this time.
There are many fathers associated with the success of the under $10M Backrooms including 21 Laps, Atomic Monster/Blumhouse, Odd Fellows and co-financier Chernin Entertainment. Together with Markiplier’s Iron Lung and Curry Barker’s Obsession, and even next weekend’s The Amazing Digital Circus (estimated $13M+ opening), Backrooms is part of a trend where YouTube creators and some content are finding newfound success at the box office. Finally, Hollywood has learned how to channel and dynamite the Gen Z crowd. Backrooms alone pulled in a crowd that was 88% under 35. Obsession alone, which is co-produced by Atomic Monster-Blumhouse, became Focus Features’ highest grossing movie at the domestic B.O. ever this past weekend with $105.7M; that studio having picked up North American and some foreign out of TIFF Midnight for $15M+ spurred by Blumhouse.
Currently, we’re hearing that Backrooms is minting north of $6M today. The movie is expected to hold, -55%, against newcomers, Amazon MGM Studios Masters of the Universe ($25M-$35M opening) and Paramount’s Scary Movie ($35M-$45M) at next weekend’s box office. That translates into a potential $36M second frame for the Parsons pic.
