A24 has a new box office milestone
In the flickering space between internet mythology and mainstream cinema, A24's Backrooms has arrived with unusual force — earning $10.4 million in preview screenings and surpassing the distributor's own record for early box office performance. The film, rooted in the online folklore of liminal spaces and unsettling corridors beyond ordinary reality, suggests that the cultural imagination nurtured in digital corners has found its way into darkened theaters. Whether this represents a lasting convergence or a concentrated burst of devotion remains the question the coming weekend will answer.
- A24's Backrooms shattered the studio's own preview earnings record with $10.4 million — a number that signals something more than routine anticipation.
- The film's origins in creepypasta internet folklore created a built-in audience primed for exactly this kind of cultural moment, blurring the line between niche obsession and mainstream demand.
- Horror's proven box office resilience, combined with A24's decade-long cultivation of devoted viewers, gave Backrooms an unusually strong launchpad heading into wide release.
- The real tension now is whether preview enthusiasm — drawn from the most engaged early adopters — can hold as the film reaches broader audiences and critical scrutiny intensifies.
- A24 watches closely: a record preview is a foundation, not a guarantee, and word-of-mouth will determine whether Backrooms has legs or has already peaked.
A24 has a new milestone. The horror film Backrooms earned $10.4 million in preview screenings, surpassing the distributor's previous record for early earnings and signaling that audiences are primed for its full theatrical run.
Preview screenings have become a critical metric in modern box office strategy — offering studios real-time data on public interest while the marketing push is still at full force. For A24, a distributor known for building devoted audiences around unconventional work, the number validates both the film and the studio's ability to mobilize its base.
Backrooms draws from internet folklore — specifically the creepypasta concept of liminal spaces, those endless, unsettling corridors that exist outside normal reality. That such a concept could drive nearly $10.5 million in advance ticket sales speaks to how deeply online culture has penetrated the mainstream. Horror has proven consistently resilient at the box office, and A24 has built real credibility in that space over the past decade.
The preview performance suggests Backrooms arrived with unusual momentum — the product of effective marketing, genuine enthusiasm, or both. But the real test is now. Preview earnings represent a concentrated burst from the most engaged viewers; whether that translates into a sustained opening weekend depends on whether the film itself delivers. Horror can be volatile — strong previews can evaporate quickly if word-of-mouth turns.
For A24, the record reinforces its identity as a studio capable of moving significant volume without sacrificing its curatorial reputation. What happens next will say something important about both this film and the broader state of horror at the box office.
A24 has a new box office milestone. The horror film Backrooms pulled in $10.4 million during its preview screenings, eclipsing the distributor's previous record for early earnings and signaling that audiences are ready to show up for the film's full theatrical run.
Preview screenings—those early showings that studios use to gauge interest and build momentum before a wide release—have become an increasingly important metric in the modern box office. They offer studios real-time data on whether a film has captured the public imagination, and they generate revenue while the marketing machine is still running hot. For A24, a distributor known for cultivating devoted audiences around distinctive, often unconventional films, the preview number represents a significant validation of both the film itself and the studio's ability to mobilize its base.
The Backrooms film draws from internet folklore—specifically, the creepypasta concept of liminal spaces and endless, unsettling corridors that exist outside normal reality. That the concept has enough cultural resonance to drive nearly $10.5 million in advance ticket sales speaks to how deeply certain corners of online culture have penetrated mainstream consciousness. Horror as a genre has proven resilient at the box office, and A24 has built considerable credibility in that space over the past decade.
What makes this preview performance noteworthy is not just the number itself, but what it suggests about audience appetite. A24's previous record for preview earnings, now surpassed, had set a high bar. Breaking it indicates that Backrooms arrived with unusual momentum—the kind that comes from either a particularly effective marketing campaign, genuine word-of-mouth enthusiasm, or both. The studio clearly tapped into something that resonated with early audiences.
The real test comes now. Preview earnings are one thing; they represent a concentrated burst of interest among the most engaged viewers. Whether that translates into a sustained opening weekend and legs beyond depends on whether the film itself delivers on the promise that drew people to those early screenings. Horror films in particular can be volatile—a strong preview can evaporate if reviews are poor or if word-of-mouth turns negative. But a $10.4 million preview is a strong foundation, and it gives Backrooms momentum heading into its wider release.
For A24, the number reinforces its position as a distributor capable of moving significant volume while maintaining its identity as a curator of distinctive work. The studio has spent years building an audience that will show up for its releases, and that audience clearly showed up for Backrooms. What happens next—whether the film sustains this interest or whether the preview earnings represent a peak—will tell us something important about both the film and the state of horror at the box office.
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What exactly is a preview screening, and why does it matter that Backrooms broke a record there?
Preview screenings are early showings, usually a few days before the official wide release. They're a way for studios to test the waters and build momentum. The record matters because it shows A24 mobilized an unusually large audience before the film even officially opened—that's real demand, not just marketing noise.
So this $10.4 million—that's money in the bank already, before the real opening weekend?
Exactly. It's revenue that's already been collected, and it's a signal. When a distributor breaks its own preview record, it means this film landed differently than previous releases. Something about Backrooms connected.
The film is based on internet creepypasta, right? Why would that drive people to theaters?
Because creepypasta has become a real cultural artifact for a lot of people, especially younger audiences. The Backrooms concept—these endless, unsettling hallways that exist outside normal space—it's genuinely unsettling. And horror has always been a genre where niche internet culture can suddenly go mainstream.
Does a strong preview guarantee a strong opening weekend?
Not at all. Previews are concentrated—they're the most engaged, most eager viewers. If the film itself disappoints those people, word spreads fast. But a $10.4 million preview is a strong cushion. It means the film starts from a position of momentum.
What does this say about A24's power as a distributor?
It says they've built something real. They've cultivated an audience that trusts them enough to show up early, even for a film based on internet folklore. That's not easy to do. Most studios can't move that kind of volume on preview alone.