It was a stellar weekend at the box office. Director Kane Parsons, just 20 years old, topped the charts with his debut feature, "Backstage." But it wasn't just a typical, solid opening weekend for a horror film. Rather, it was one of the most unexpectedly big openings of the modern era. It practically secured Parsons' place as the creator of the next major horror franchise.
A24's "Behind the Scenes" grossed a staggering $81.4 million in the US during its opening weekend. However, these are just rough estimates, so this figure could very well rise once the final results are tallied. The film also grossed $36.5 million overseas, bringing its total to $118 million against a production budget of just $10 million. This is a new opening weekend record for A24, surpassing "Civil War" (which grossed just under $26 million in 2024). It's a true record, if there ever was one.
Just a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like "Behind the Scenes" would be the biggest surprise box office hit of the summer. Less than two weeks ago, preliminary estimates for the film's box office were hovering around $35 million. The fact that it grossed over $80 million in its opening weekend, something very few films have achieved in recent years, is simply astounding. And considering that this phenomenon was driven by a $10 million film made by a director who isn't even a year old enough to legally drink beer in the US, it becomes even more astounding.
At this point, the question isn't whether A24 and Parsons will turn this into a multi-part franchise, but how quickly they can get started. Negotiations are undoubtedly already underway.
Read also: The 50 Scariest Horror Movie Monsters
The movie "Behind the Scenes" will have at least one sequel (and maybe many more).
Renate Reinswe as Mary, squeezing between two walls of a bed in "Behind the Scenes" - A24
The film "Behind the Scenes" is based on the YouTube series "Behind the Scenes," which in turn began as a creepypasta posted on various online forums. The plot centers on a strange door that appears in the basement of a furniture store. Chiwetel Ejiofor ("The Martian") and Renate Reinswe ("Sentimental Value") star.
Kane Parsons didn't invent the mythology that inspired the creators of "Whiplash," but he did create the current, iconic version, which began with his viral YouTube shorts. It's all part of a growing, undeniable trend of YouTubers breaking into the Hollywood mainstream. "Whiplash" and its incredible box office success cemented this trend, and now "Whiplash" has accelerated its growth, surpassing even the wildest predictions.
A24 will be scrambling to secure Parsons's services as soon as possible. Fortunately, Parsons has already made it clear that he wants this to become a multi-part franchise. It wouldn't be surprising if several sequels are planned simultaneously, as was the case with the 2018 Halloween sequels, Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.
It's impossible to ignore the fact that Parsons made this film on a $10 million budget. The film has already generated huge profits for everyone involved. Even if A24 quadruples the budget, the inevitable sequel is practically guaranteed to be profitable, especially considering that the first film, "Behind the Scenes," hasn't yet been released in many countries. At this point, its box office potential is practically limitless.
What exactly will happen next is still unknown. But rest assured, this is just the beginning of a new, ambitious project. Generation Z has arrived in Hollywood.
The film "Behind the Scenes" is now showing in cinemas.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.