{"id":956,"date":"2026-06-01T23:38:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T23:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=956"},"modified":"2026-06-01T23:38:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T23:38:08","slug":"youtubers-were-supposed-to-replace-theaters-now-they-are-filling-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=956","title":{"rendered":"YouTubers were supposed to replace theaters. Now, they are filling them"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A emerging generation of horror filmmakers who got started on YouTube has arrived in theaters, driving unusually strong turnout among young audiences that have long been hard to draw. <\/p>\n

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\u201cBackrooms,\u201d a low budget horror film from 20-year-old first-time filmmaker Kane Parsons, grossed a staggering $81.5 million in its first three days in theaters, crushing box-office predictions and setting multiple industry records, including the largest opening weekend ever for an original horror movie. <\/p>\n

Based on Parson\u2019s popular web series exploring eerie, liminal spaces, the horror film far outperformed the big-budget Star Wars installment \u201cThe Mandalorian and Grogu,\u201d which grossed $25 million in its second weekend in theaters. <\/p>\n

\u201cNobody expected this to open above $80 million,\u201d analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations told Variety. \u201cThere\u2019s an obsession with \u2018Backrooms\u2019 mythology, and part of that is responsible for the Marvel-sized opening weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

The breakout success of \u201cBackrooms\u201d didn\u2019t overshadow the sustained box-office performance of \u201cObsession,\u201d a horror film from 26-year-old Curry Barker, who also began his filmmaking career on YouTube. In its third weekend in theaters, the film \u2014 produced for under $1 million \u2014 pulled in more than $26 million. <\/p>\n

\u201c(\u2019Backrooms\u2019 and \u2018Obsession\u2019) can co-exist because there\u2019s a massive demand for it,\u201d Bock added, per Variety. \u201cBoth films doing amazing business in the height of summer proves this audience cannot be satiated yet.\u201d <\/p>\n

According to exit polls, 86% of the \u201cBackrooms\u201d audience was under 35, more than half were 25 or younger and 44% were under 21. With \u201cObsession,\u201d 75% of early crowds were between 18 and 25 years old. <\/p>\n

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This weekend suggests YouTube might not be killing movie theaters in younger generations \u2014 it could fuel their revival instead. <\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone\u2019s asking what\u2019s the next big thing in Hollywood for movies, and what can bring people back to the movie theater? And this may be it,\u201d Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Comscore, told The Associated Press. <\/p>\n

\n
Related<\/div>\n
Here are the most anticipated movies of summer 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Also opening this weekend were Nate Bargatze\u2019s debut film \u201cThe Breadwinner,\u201d which opened at $7.5 million, and \u201cPressure,\u201d a WWII drama with Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser, which grossed $5.7 million. <\/p>\n

After the strong performances of \u201cBackrooms\u201d and \u201cObsession,\u201d the box office\u2019s recent resurgence is expected to continue through the summer, with several major releases still ahead. <\/p>\n

A slate of upcoming summer blockbusters, including Christopher Nolan\u2019s \u201cThe Odyssey,\u201d Marvel\u2019s \u201cSpider-Man: Brand New Day\u201d and Pixar\u2019s \u201cToy Story 5,\u2033 is expected to keep audiences returning to theaters in the months ahead. <\/p>\n

\u201cMovie theaters are going to be very busy,\u201d predicts Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Theatres, per Variety.<\/p>\n

Read more This GOP congressman hasn\u2019t been seen in 3 months. He\u2019s running in one of the most competitive races in the country<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Backrooms” and “Obsession,” two horror films from filmmakers who got started on YouTube, attracted hordes of young audiences to theaters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movies"],"yoast_head":"\nYouTubers were supposed to replace theaters. Now, they are filling them - American Movers Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=956\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"YouTubers were supposed to replace theaters. 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