A24’s new horror hit Backrooms opened in 3,400 U.S. and Canadian theaters on Thursday. Directed by 20‑year‑old Kane Parsons, the film already draws near $60 million in ticket sales, a figure that eclipses the opening of Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day. Parsons, whose YouTube channel has earned 342 million views, turned a modest $10 million budget into a box‑office juggernaut.

Parsons joins a growing cadre of YouTubers who have broken into mainstream cinema. Mark Fischbach, known online as Markiplier, poured $3 million into his debut Iron Lung, which grossed $50 million across 3,015 theaters. Curry Barker’s low‑budget Obsession has already pulled $74 million in North America, costing only $750,000 to make.

Hollywood’s traditional gatekeepers now face competition from creators who build loyal audiences online. A24’s success has prompted the studio to hire Barker to reboot the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, while Focus Features’ chairman Peter Kujawski warns that only a few YouTubers possess the storytelling chops to sustain long‑term box‑office appeal.

The surge proves horror remains the safest genre for first‑time directors, but industry insiders caution that success may hinge on genre. As studios recover from the pandemic, the market watches closely whether these YouTube‑born talents can translate viral popularity into sustained mainstream profitability.