Kain Parsons' Behind the Scenes has already broken the record for the highest opening weekend for A24.
The adaptation of Parsons' viral YouTube series "Behind the Scenes" grossed $38 million from 3,442 theaters on Friday, and is projected to end the weekend with a gross of between $85 million and $90 million. That's more than triple the previous record set by Alex Garland's 2024 thriller "Civil War," which earned $25.5 million, making it A24's best-ever debut.
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Behind the Scenes director Kane Parsons explains all the nuances: how he navigates borderlands, why he was nervous about his work being "ruined by bosses," and what sequels might look like.
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Box Office: A24's "Behind the Scenes" is aiming for a record-breaking opening weekend gross of over $45 million, continuing its successful streak of low-budget horror films.
The film "Behind the Scenes" tells the story of the owner of a small furniture store in a provincial town who discovers a portal to the other world in his showroom. Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Rainswe, and Mark Duplass, the film is produced by James Wan, Shawn Levy, and Osgood Perkins.
Other new releases this weekend include Nate Bargatze's family comedy "The Breadwinner" and Focus Features' war drama "Pressure." "The Breadwinner" performed best, taking in $2.75 million from 3,525 theaters in North America on Friday, landing in fifth place. It's on track to gross $7.5 million by Sunday.
TriStar Pictures' The Breadwinner tells the story of a father, played by Bargatze, who is forced to take over a chaotic household when his wife leaves for a month-long business trip. The cast also includes Mandy Moore, Stella Grace Fitzgerald, Berdie Borria, Charlotte Ann Tucker, Colin Jost, and Zach Cherry.
"Drag" landed at No. 6 on Friday, grossing $2.46 million at the U.S. box office from 1,829 screens. It's expected to reach $5.4 million by the end of the weekend. In this World War II thriller, Brendan Fraser plays Dwight D. Eisenhower, who must decide whether to launch the Normandy landings under harsh conditions. The cast also includes Andrew Scott, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, Damian Lewis, and Tamsin Topolski.
Curry Barker's "Obsession" earned a silver medal on Friday, grossing $8.1 million on its third Friday. After an impressive $28 million over Memorial Day weekend, the independent horror film is expected to gross another $28 million by Sunday. That's $191 million more than the $22 million it earned over three days last weekend.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu finished third, grossing just $6.5 million on its second Friday in North American theaters, down $0.8 million from its opening day. While initial projections had predicted $40 million by Sunday, competitors now estimate that figure to be closer to $25 million. This would bring the film's total domestic box office to $136 million over the two weekends.
Lionsgate's "Michael" took fourth place, adding $3.5 million on Friday. It's expected to gross $12.7 million by Sunday, bringing its U.S. box office total to $340 million over six weekends.
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