Iron Lung

Meet Hollywood’s new masters of horror: YouTubers

First came “Iron Lung,” a video game adaptation self-financed and distributed by YouTuber Markiplier that stunned the box office with a massive haul. Three months later, “Obsession,” a low-budget project from 26-year-old YouTuber Curry Barker, pulled off the rare feat of growing its box office take by 39% in its second weekend in theaters. This weekend, A24’s “Backrooms” — from 20-year-old YouTuber Kane Parsons — grossed a record-breaking $81.4 million in North America and $118 million...

'Backrooms' Stuns with $81M Debut

This weekend was one for the box office history books. Movie theaters across the nation were jamming with Gen Z crowds, who showed up en masse for not one but two buzzy horror films. A24’s “Backrooms” collected a jaw-dropping, record-breaking $81 million from 3,442 North American theaters in its opening weekend.

To YouTube and beyond: how online gen Z directors stormed Hollywood

Record-breaking box office for Backrooms and Obsession has opened the door for twentysomething YouTube creators as the industry rethinks what audiences wantAt this time last year, the idea of a wide-release feature film-maker cutting their teeth on YouTube was, if not unheard of, certainly still a niche origin story. Siblings Michael and Danny Philippou had just released Bring Her Back, the follow-up to their surprise horror hit Talk to Me, to pretty-good reviews and OK box office; clearly...

A Viral YouTube Show About an Unhinged AI Is Hitting Theaters. It’s a Big Test for Hollywood

The fandom of The Amazing Digital Circus has had a rough few weeks on the internet. Ever since Glitch Productions, the independent animation studio behind the web series, announced in early April that the finale would be released in theaters rather than on YouTube, fans have been simultaneously speculating about how the show might end and avoiding anyone claiming to have details about the final episode, whether they’re real or not. “We’re looking for new mods to help us with spoilers,” reads...

To YouTube and beyond: how online gen Z directors stormed Hollywood

Record-breaking box office for Backrooms and Obsession has opened the door for twentysomething YouTube creators as the industry rethinks what audiences wantAt this time last year, the idea of a wide-release feature film-maker cutting their teeth on YouTube was, if not unheard of, certainly still a niche origin story. Siblings Michael and Danny Philippou had just released Bring Her Back, the follow-up to their surprise horror hit Talk to Me, to pretty-good reviews and OK box office; clearly...

Backrooms is a reminder that the internet is the future of cinema

Backrooms is a reminder that the internet is the future of cinema Kane Parsons joins plenty of other YouTubers who’ve made their way to the big screen. The story behind the Backrooms is almost as trippy as the film itself. Kane Parsons taught himself how to use Adobe After Effects and Blender as a teenager, experimented with online short films, and rose to online fame with his first Backrooms short in 2022 (which now has nearly 80 million views).

To YouTube and beyond: how online gen Z directors stormed Hollywood

Record-breaking box office for Backrooms and Obsession has opened the door for twentysomething YouTube creators as the industry rethinks what audiences wantAt this time last year, the idea of a wide-release feature film-maker cutting their teeth on YouTube was, if not unheard of, certainly still a niche origin story. Siblings Michael and Danny Philippou had just released Bring Her Back, the follow-up to their surprise horror hit Talk to Me, to pretty-good reviews and OK box office; clearly...

Backrooms is at the forefront of horror’s YouTube wave

To YouTube and beyond: how online gen Z directors stormed Hollywood

Record-breaking box office for Backrooms and Obsession has opened the door for twentysomething YouTube creators as the industry rethinks what audiences wantAt this time last year, the idea of a wide-release feature film-maker cutting their teeth on YouTube was, if not unheard of, certainly still a niche origin story. Siblings Michael and Danny Philippou had just released Bring Her Back, the follow-up to their surprise horror hit Talk to Me, to pretty-good reviews and OK box office; clearly...

Here’s the biggest news you missed this weekend

Family visitation at a New Jersey immigration detention center is set to resume after being suspended amid days of protests, arrests and clashes outside the facility, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Sunday. Protesters have gathered outside Delaney Hall in Newark for more than a week to support detainees who allege inadequate medical care, poor living conditions and delays in immigration proceedings, which DHS denies. Detainees have reportedly staged hunger strikes and labor strikes.