YouTubers in their 20s are causing havoc in Hollywood.
The new horror film "Behind the Scenes," based on an internet meme, stunned box office analysts with record-breaking opening weekend sales. According to Comscore estimates released on Sunday, May 31, the film, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Raineswe and directed by 20-year-old YouTuber Kain Parsons, grossed a staggering $81.5 million at the U.S. box office in its first three days.
Not only does this significantly exceed previous projections, but it is also comparable to the results of the latest Star Wars film, The Mandalorian and Grogu, which grossed $81.7 million in its first three days over the holiday weekend.
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Chiwetel Ejiofor stars in the horror film "Behind the Scenes," which set a box office record in its opening weekend.
Behind the Scenes also posted by far the biggest opening weekend in A24 history, a record previously held by Civil War, which opened with $25.5 million in 2024.
«"Behind the Scenes" is an adaptation of Parsons's popular web series about characters exploring a creepy alternate dimension consisting of an endless series of empty rooms. The YouTube series, which Parsons created mostly on his laptop while still in high school, was itself inspired by an anonymous online comment that turned the idea for "Behind the Scenes" into a meme. Parsons is the youngest director in A24's history, and the film was made on a budget of $10 million.
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(Disney)
«Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (in theaters May 8): Billie Eilish hugs her brother Finneas O'Connell in a scene from the 3D concert film produced by James Cameron.
(Paramount Films)
«Blue Movie (May 8 in theaters): In this seductive thriller, Kieron Moore (left) plays a fetish-obsessed webcam model whose latest client (Reed Birney) reveals a disturbing connection to the young man's past.
(Silent release)
«"The Sheep Detectives" (May 8 in theaters): Officer Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun, left) and reporter Elliot Matthews (Nicholas Galitzine) investigate the suspicious death of a local shepherd in the detective comedy, which also stars Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson.
(Amazon MGM Studios)
«Driving Lessons (May 15 in theaters): Sam Nivola plays a lovesick high school student who steals a car for driving lessons to track down his college freshman girlfriend and win her back in this teen comedy.
(Jackson Lee Davis, Vertical)
«"Counterfeit" (May 15 in theaters): Kelly Marie Tran (alongside T.R. Knight) plays an FBI agent investigating a series of art forgeries perpetrated by a shady pair of siblings and a disgraced millionaire.
(Utopia)
«In Grey (May 15 in cinemas): Jake Gyllenhaal (far left), Henry Cavill and Eiza González play a secret team of agents tasked with recovering a vast fortune from a ruthless tyrant in Guy Ritchie's action-packed thriller.
(Dan Smith, "Black Bear")
«Is There a God? (May 15 in theaters): Kara Young (left) and Mallory Johnson play sisters who embark on a quest for revenge to kill their abusive father and end up confronting their family's complicated history in this genre-bending thriller.
(Patti Perrette, Amazon MGM Studios)
«Obsession (May 15 in theaters): Michael Johnston (far left) worries about what his friends Sarah (Megan Lawless) and Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) will think when his girlfriend starts acting very strange in this horror film.
(Focal characteristics)
«The Wizard of the Kremlin (May 15 in cinemas): Paul Dano (with Alicia Vikander) stars in the political satire as a manipulative government official who teams up with a young Vladimir Putin to reshape post-Soviet Russia in the 1990s.
(Carol Betuel, Vertical)
«The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22 in theaters): In the new Star Wars film, Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver, left) meets with the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu to help defend the New Republic from the threat of Imperial warlords.
(Justin Lubin, Lucasfilm)
«The Passenger (May 22 in cinemas): In this supernatural horror film, Jacob Scipio and Lou Llobell play a young couple who witness a horrific accident and are unwittingly sensing the presence of a dark demonic entity they can't shake off.
(Paramount Films)
«"Sugar" (May 22 in cinemas): Midori Francis stars in this supernatural body-harm horror film, where she portrays a medical student haunted by a dark and sinister force after consuming human ashes as part of a new weight-loss craze.
(Independent film company)
«The Breadwinner (May 29 in cinemas): Nate Bargatze stars in this comedy as a salesman who struggles to keep his home—and three children—from falling into total chaos when his wife leaves for an important business trip.
(Frank Masi, Sony Pictures)
«Furious (June 12 in theaters): Miao Xie stars in the Chinese action thriller as a desperate father who takes brutal revenge after his daughter is kidnapped by a gang and corrupt law enforcement refuses to help him.
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«"Power Ballad" (May 29 in theaters): In this musical tragicomedy, Paul Rudd (right) plays a wedding singer who teams up with a former boy band member (Nick Jonas) and finds himself in trouble when he turns one of his songs into a career-changing hit.
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«"Pressure" (May 29 in theaters): In this historical drama, Brendan Fraser plays Dwight D. Eisenhower, who must either carry out the Normandy landings or delay them and risk losing World War II depending on unpredictable weather conditions.
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«Speed Demon (in theaters May 31): In this horror film, a nun (Katie Cassidy) must overcome her shattered faith to battle possessed passengers on a runaway train from Montreal to New York City, which is possessed by the demon Asmodeus.
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«"Birthday" (June 5 in theaters): In this drama, Willem Dafoe plays a powerful tycoon who throws a lavish birthday party for his daughter and heiress on his exclusive private island, but she brings her own news that leads to family conflict.
(Quiver distribution)
«"Caroline Caroline" (in theaters June 5): Caroline (Samara Weaving) finds herself recruited by charismatic con man Oliver (Kyle Gallner) for a life of bank robbery and constant travel in this romantic crime thriller.
(Magnolia Pictures)
«Masters of the Universe (in theaters June 5): Based on the popular 1980s cartoon and toy franchise, this fantasy adventure film tells the story of He-Man (Jared Leto), played by Nicholas Galitzine, who uses the power of Grayskull to battle the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto).
(Giles Keith, Amazon MGM Studios)
«Scary Movie (in theaters June 5): Anna Faris parodies Laurie Strode, the lead character from "Halloween," played by Jamie Lee Curtis, in the sixth installment of the comedy-horror franchise, which also satirizes "The Sinners," "Get Out," "Scream," "Gun," and others.
(Quantrell Colbert, Paramount Pictures)
«"Disclosure Day" (June 12 in theaters): Emily Blunt plays a Kansas City meteorologist who is affected by the presence of aliens—a secret kept hidden for decades—in Steven Spielberg's highly anticipated sci-fi thriller.
(Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
«"STOP! THIS! TRAIN!" (in theaters June 12): This hilarious comedy stars drag queens Ginger Minj (left) and Jujubee as best friends and train stewardesses trying to prevent the luxury Glamazon Express from derailing during the disastrous "Storm Feast.".
(Bleecker Street and Wonderland)
«The Death of Robin Hood (June 19 in theaters): In this dark thriller, Hugh Jackman plays an aging archer-robber forced to confront a past filled with crime and murder until a mysterious woman offers him a chance at redemption before it's too late.
(A24 Films)
«Finnegans Four (in theaters June 19): Brian Muller (far left), Edward Burns, Brian d'Arcy James and Erica Hernandez star in this tragicomedy as members of a family who travel to Ireland to scatter the ashes of their patriarch on the coastal golf course he loved.
(Republic Pictures)
«Girls Like Girls (in theaters June 19): New town resident Koli (Maya Da Costa, left) falls for her friend Sonia (Myra Molloy) in the film adaptation of director Hayley Kiyoko's best-selling coming-of-age novel.
(Dan Power, Focus Features)
«Toy Story 5 (in theaters June 19): Jessie (second from left, voiced by Joan Cusack) and her horse Bullseye are joined by new characters Atlas (Craig Robinson), Smarty Pants (Conan O'Brien) and Snappy (Shelby Rabara) in the Disney/Pixar animated comedy.
(Pixar)
«The Invitation (June 26 in theaters): Olivia Wilde (right, with Penelope Cruz) directed and stars in this tragicomedy about a financially struggling couple who are lured by their upstairs neighbors into intimate situations that could either bring them closer together or drive them further apart.
(A24 Films)
«Supergirl (in theaters June 26): In her first solo adventure in the DC Universe, Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) must rescue her beloved dog Krypto and teams up with a vengeful teenager and a relentless intergalactic bounty hunter.
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
«Minions and Monsters (in theaters July 1): Set in 1920s Hollywood, this new animated comedy about the Minions follows the banana-loving little yellow men as they use an ancient spellbook to summon a host of terrifying monsters for their epic horror film.
(Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures)
«Moana (in theaters July 10): In the 2016 Disney animated musical adaptation, Australian newcomer Katherine Laga'aia stars as a traveler who sets out to rescue the inhabitants of her island.
(Disney)
«The Odyssey (in theaters July 17): Christopher Nolan, following "Oppenheimer," delivers something truly epic. In this adaptation of Homer's classic, Matt Damon plays Odysseus, the legendary Greek warrior who embarks on a perilous journey home from the Trojan War.
(Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures)
«Hadestown: The Musical (in theaters July 24): Reeve Carney and four other members of the original Broadway cast star in the recording of the Tony Award-winning musical—a new take on the timeless love stories of Greek mythology—that has opened in London's West End.
(Crosswalk and LD Entertainment)
«Motor City (July 24 in theaters): Alan Ritchson plays an ex-con who is framed by a brutal gangster with his eye on his girlfriend (Shailene Woodley) in this action-packed revenge thriller, also starring Ben McKenzie and Ben Foster.
(Independent film company)
«"The End of Oak Street" (August 14 in theaters): Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway play a married couple whose family is forced to adapt to strange conditions—and dinosaurs—when a mysterious cosmic event relocates their neighborhood in this sci-fi thriller.
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«PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie (August 14 in theaters): In their new animated adventure, Ryder (voiced by Henry Bolan, far left) and the superhero pups of PAW Patrol are shipwrecked on a dinosaur-infested tropical island after their ship is caught in a mysterious storm.
(Paramount Films)
«Insidious: From Beyond (August 21 in theaters): Amelia Eve plays a young mother who discovers she can travel to the Otherworld, a terrifying realm of lost souls that is the heart of the Insidious horror franchise.
(Narelle Portanier, Sony Pictures)
«Mutiny (August 21 in theaters): Jason Statham plays a former cop working in private security for a billionaire who, after being framed for the murder of his boss, sets out on a cargo ship alone to exact revenge.
(Dan Smith/Lionsgate)
«Spa Weekend (August 21 in theaters): Isla Fisher (far left), Leslie Mann, Michelle Buteau and Anna Faris star in this comedy about three childhood best friends whose long-awaited spa getaway is ruined by their friend causing chaos.
(Black bear)
«Coyote vs. Acme (August 28 in theaters): Wile E. Coyote (left) faces off against his old nemesis, the Road Runner, and after decades of using substandard ACME contraptions, Wile E. Coyote sues the corporation in this live-action/animation comedy.
(Ketchup Entertainment)
«Looking for Emily (August 28 in theaters): When a lovesick musician (Spike Fearn) gets the wrong phone number for the girl of his dreams, he teams up with a determined psychology student (Angourie Rice) to find her in this British romantic comedy.
(Focal characteristics)
«The Idiots (August 28 in theaters): Mason Thames plays a wealthy teenager whose trip to rehab is thrown into chaos by two incompetent chaperones (Dave Franco and O'Shea Jackson Jr.) in director Macon Blair's comedy.
(Steve Swisher, Independent Film Company)
«Nimrods (in theaters in August): Green Day members Tré Cool (far left), Billie Joe Armstrong, and Mike Dirnt play themselves in this coming-of-age story about a group of young people who mistakenly think they're opening for an iconic punk trio on New Year's Eve.
(Introductory entertainment program)
«"High Fashion" (summer in theaters): Swiss actress Ella Rumpf plays a makeup artist in the high-stakes world of Parisian fashion. Angelina Jolie also stars and produces the drama.
(Vertical)
«Westhampton (in cinemas this summer): A film director (Finn Wittrock), still haunted by the memories of his high school accident, is forced to confront the old friends whose lives he ruined and the town that hates him.
(Silent release)
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Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as the trickster demigod Maui in the animated film Moana. Check out exclusive footage from the new Disney film, plus all the other movies you should see in theaters this summer.
(Disney)
«"Behind the Scenes" isn't the only horror film from the young director to achieve impressive box office success.
The film "Whiplash" is also enjoying massive word-of-mouth success. The film, about a young man whose quest for love from his lover ends in failure, achieved the extraordinary feat of grossing more in subsequent weekends than it did in its debut. The film grossed $17 million in its first weekend, and $26.4 million in its third, according to Comscore. This was enough to propel it to second place that weekend, behind "Behind the Scenes.".
Like "Backrooms," "Obsession" was also directed by 26-year-old YouTuber Curry Barker.
The Mandalorian and Grogu finished in third place. The Mandalorian, the first new Star Wars film since 2019, was expected to remain at the top spot. Instead, its box office took in just $25 million in its second weekend, a potentially worrisome sign for a film series struggling to regain its footing in theaters after a long hiatus.
The success of Behind the Scenes and Whiplash could have serious implications for the film industry, as established franchises like Star Wars may no longer be the surefire box office bets they once were.
It seems audiences, at least in the horror genre, are hungry for fresh ideas. With the emergence of young talents like Parsons and Barker, it seems a new era has dawned for Hollywood.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Behind the Scenes' Box Office Take Shocks, Surpasses 'Star Wars'.