Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleTwo independent horror films, Backrooms and Obsession, directed by Gen Z YouTubers, have significantly outperformed the latest Star Wars film at the box office, indicating a shift in audience preferences. Backrooms, directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons and produced for just $10 million, achieved an impressive $81.5m in its opening weekend across the US and Canada, with global takings reaching $118 million, setting a new record for A24. Obsession, the directorial debut of 26-year-old Curry Barker, which cost under $1m to make, secured second place this weekend with $26.4m, surpassing Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, which dropped to third with $25m. The success of Backrooms, which originated as an internet 'creepypasta' before being adapted into a viral web series, highlights the potential of online content creators to attract a young and diverse audience to cinemas, with 86 per cent of its viewers under 35. Industry experts suggest that the unexpected triumphs of these low-budget, internet-born films could represent a new direction for Hollywood, demonstrating that compelling content, regardless of budget or traditional origins, can draw audiences back to the big screen. In fullGen Z horror hits leave Star Wars in their dust at the box officeThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

YouTube filmmakers are ascendant, with 'Obsession' topping the second weekend of 'Mandalorian and Grogu' and becoming the first film in more than 40 years to increase in both its…

The YouTube-to-prestige-horror pipeline is looking very strong.

Backrooms shattered A24's record. Obsession beat Star Wars. Two Sleepy People sold to mk2. Three films from YouTube creators just remade the box office.

Backrooms arrives in theatres alongside another horror breakout, Obsession, directed by YouTube creator Curry Barker. | Hollywood

An indie horror with internet origins has beaten the legacy franchise Star Wars at the box office this weekend.

It was a great weekend for moviegoing as "Backrooms" and "Obsession" fueled record turnouts.

A24’s “Backrooms” — from 20-year-old Kane Parsons — broke box office records this weekend, marking the latest example of an indie horror hit helmed by a YouTuber.

A pair of low-budget horror films created by young YouTube filmmakers drew large Gen Z audiences to theaters this weekend. It wasn't for the big...

“Backrooms,” which was directed and co-written by YouTube creator Kane Parsons, cost only $10 million to produce.

Kane Parsons, de 20 años, y Curry Barker, de 26, llegaron al cine desde YouTube con dos películas que ya rompieron cifras en taquilla

The success of “Obsession” and “Backrooms” may mean some studio bosses will place a few more bets on original concepts rather than predictable franchises and sequels.

Two independent horror films - Backrooms and Obsession - made on small budgets - have beaten the new Star Wars film at the box office. | Hollywood

The movie’s massive opening weekend haul is the largest ever for an original horror film.

Filmmakers from the internet are beating big franchises at the box office, with “Backrooms” and “Obsession” the latest to draw crowds back to theatres.

AP:Young audiences turned out in droves to movie theatres around the country this weekend for a small-budget horror from a 20-year-old first-time filmmaker that began on the…

_Backrooms_ and _Obsession_, two YouTuber-directed low-budget horror films, topped the box office, with _Backrooms_ earning $81.45 million domestically this weekend.

Two indie horror films made by Gen Z directors with internet origins have upset the latest big-budget Star Wars film

Two young YouTube filmmakers achieved a historic milestone, surpassing Star Wars in a major box office weekend, signaling a transformative shift in the entertainment industry.

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or…

Record-breaking box office for Backrooms and Obsession has opened the door for twentysomething YouTube creators as the industry rethinks what audiences want