Forget summer blockbusters. YouTubers have taken over the box office, setting records thanks to behind-the-scenes intrigue and obsession.

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Source: A24

This weekend's box office numbers might have you checking your calendar (and thermostat). Because at a time of year when we're usually gearing up for the year's biggest superhero movies and summer blockbusters, two horror films are dominating the American box office.« Behind the scenes »" Kane Parsons and "« Obsession »"Barker's Curry isn't just any horror movie, it's low-budget films made by YouTube stars, and this weekend they broke records, eclipsing «"The Mandalorian" and "Grogu"» .

Movie «"Backrooms" debuted in theaters in 2026 and grossed $81.5 million—light years ahead of projections (honestly, don't even look at the number I reported last week). Meanwhile, «Obsession demonstrated unprecedented growth in viewership in its third weekend.

Take a look at the chart below (via The Numbers), and then we'll break down what it all means:

Weekend box office: May 29-31, 2026

* denotes a new release

Backrooms sets records with its shocking debut.

Let's take a look at how impressive the film's opening weekend is.« Behind the scenes »" in the amount of $81.5 million. Last week, the premiere The Mandalorian and Grogu series« grossed $82 million in significantly more theaters. One of these films cost $10 million, the other $165 million. Pedro Pascal's film «"Star wars"» — is part of one of the most popular film franchises of all time, and «Behind the Scenes» — is a found footage horror film that critics struggled to describe in their reviews.

And that's not even mentioning the box office receipts The Mandalorian and Grogu series« dropped sharply to 69% in its second weekend of release.

What this means for the film industry as a whole remains to be seen - almost 85% viewers of the film "« Behind the scenes »" were under 35 (goodbye, theater etiquette), but some things are certain. According to Variety:

• The film "Behind the Scenes"« posted the highest opening weekend gross in A25's history (surpassing the «"Civil War »"$25.5 million in 2024).

• It's the biggest opening in the history of original horror films.

• This is the best start for a new director making a film that is not part of a franchise.

• At 20, Kane Parsons is the youngest director to ever have a film take first place at the box office (beating Josh Trank, who directed "« Chronicle »", who was 27 when the film debuted in 2012 to $22 million).

The film even surpassed nine figures globally, with A24's new horror film taking in $36.5 million overseas for a three-day total of $118 million.

Source: Focus Features

What the hell is going on with the possession in The Wish Granting Willow?

The film's box office take jump «Obsession» between the first two weekends of the rental was practically unprecedented, so no absolutely no reason, It's nothing short of magical to assume the film will show another increase after three weekends. And yet, here we are. The film that has us deep-diving into Nikki theories and debating the ending has now surpassed $100 million in North America, posting a 10% increase in box office receipts this weekend:

As Deadline reports, «Obsession» — the first film since 1982 , when E.T. came out« , which saw box office growth in its second and third weekends of release. This unprecedented success is very exciting for aspiring YouTube filmmakers, especially given the achievements Backrooms and the success of the film «Iron Lung» Mark Fischbach (aka Markiplier), released earlier this year.

The YouTuber self-funded The Iron Lung« , directed and starred in, earning $50 million on a $3 million budget. (I saw it at the insistence of my 15-year-old daughter, and it was an absolutely mind-blowing experience. And very, very bloody.)

Source: A24

There is a place for everyone in the world of horror.

Last week I wrote that I was concerned about the potential negative impact of a growing audience. film "Backrooms" » on «Obsession »", believing that if horror fans had to choose between the two films, they would most likely choose the super-popular project. Wrong! Obviously, «Backrooms» was not injured, just like «Obsession» . Is anyone going to watch Backrooms twice?

Now I'll definitely be keeping an eye on what happens next weekend, as another horror movie will be joining the list. «Scary Movie» , the sixth installment in the parody series, hits theaters this weekend, so how will horror fans be divided this time around?

Source: Sony Pictures

The Breadwinner publication has gone out of business after receiving negative reviews.

Horror films may not have been competing with each other at the box office this weekend, but they certainly weren't doing the other new releases any favors. In the case of «"Bread Baker »" , however, it's more his own fault, as reviews for comedian Nate Bargatz's big-screen debut were lukewarm, to say the least. Early projections had the film grossing around $19 million, but by the end of the weekend, it had only grossed approximately $7.5 million. Let's take a look at how critics and audiences rated this week's releases:

For the audience The Bread Baker« was clearly much more popular than the critics, so perhaps word of mouth will keep it from dropping too much in the ratings next weekend. «"Pressure"» It also received high ratings, and I wouldn't be surprised if viewers spent D-Day with Brendan Fraser and Andrew Scott, learning about the weather forecast that changed the world.

So what new films will these movies have to compete with?

Source: Paramount Pictures

Will Scary Movie 6 maintain its creepy atmosphere?

«Scary Movie 6"» leads the forecasts for next weekend, but can He-Man destroy this horror fest? Here's what Box Office Theory predicts for upcoming releases:

• «Scary Movie 6: from 41 to 52 million dollars.

• «Masters of the Universe: from 25 to 35 million dollars.

• The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act: from 10 to 16 million dollars

We are still monitoring Michael Jackson as a biopic about him gets closer to surpassing «Bohemian Rhapsody» ($911 million) and become the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time at the global box office. This week, we reached $846.3 million, and given that the Japanese premiere is on June 12, I think it's only a matter of weeks.

The box office has been incredibly busy lately, and it's only going to get better, with many major releases still to come. Every Sunday, I publish a review of the top 10 films and a detailed analysis of the numbers.