Horror Hit Re-released.
A24's Backrooms Extended Edition Re-Release Becomes Highest-Grossing Film, Tops $330M Worldwide.
Key Points
Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition will include a theatrically exclusive post-credits sequence of 15 minutes created by Kane Parsons, bringing the total runtime to 2 hours 6 minutes, with AMC and Variety describing the marketing as such.
Backrooms is the second-highest grossing horror movie of 2026 and is narrowing the gap to Obsession for the top spot, underscoring ongoing demand for low-budget horror.
Director Kane Parsons has built a large YouTube following for his creepypasta series, described as a 'YouTube prodigy' whose online audience helped propel Backrooms to its feature debut, with the videos totaling over 190 million views.
The film opened in the US on May 29 to about $81.4 million, contributing to a worldwide total exceeding $330 million and marking it as a breakout hit for A24.
The July 3 extended edition rollout spans major theater chains, including Emagine Entertainment and Regal Cinemas, with listings also indicating availability at Phoenix Theatres as part of a broad distribution push.
A24's low-budget horror film Backrooms has crossed $330 million worldwide — and the studio wants to keep the momentum going. On July 3, A24 is rolling out Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition, an extended cut running 2 hours and 6 minutes, with 15 minutes of new, theatrically exclusive post-credits footage directed by Kane Parsons, according to Fangoria and JoBlo.
The re-release lands during the busy July 4 holiday weekend, placing the $10 million horror film in direct competition with Toy Story 5 and Minions & Monsters. For A24, Backrooms is now its highest-grossing film ever — surpassing Everything Everywhere All At Once.
$330 Million on a $10 Million Budget Rewrites Horror Math
Backrooms opened in US theaters on May 29 to $81.4 million in its first weekend, according to JoBlo. It has since climbed past $330 million worldwide. That puts its profit-to-cost ratio at roughly 33 to 1 — one of the highest of the decade for any studio release.
The film is currently the second-highest-grossing horror movie of 2026, trailing only Obsession, according to Fangoria. Analysts believe the extended cut could close that gap. A24 is betting that Parsons' fanbase will fill seats a second — or even third — time.
Kane Parsons: From YouTube Creator to A24's Biggest Director
Parsons was just 16 when he uploaded 'The Backrooms (Found Footage)' to YouTube in 2022. That video alone pulled over 100 million views. His full Backrooms playlist has now topped 190 million views total. Variety called him a 'YouTube prodigy' who made a feature film at age 20.
Parsons described the extended edition as a gift to his community. 'The theatrical experience shouldn't just be a static thing,' he said. 'Everything Must Go is a thank you to the community that lived in these yellow halls with me for years.' Producers James Wan and Shawn Levy mentored him through the production.
What's New in the Everything Must Go Edition
The extended cut runs 126 minutes — 15 minutes longer than the original theatrical version, according to Dark Horizons. The added footage is a post-credits sequence created entirely by Parsons. A24 is marketing it as 'theatrically exclusive,' meaning it won't appear in any streaming release right away.
Major chains including AMC, Regal Cinemas, Emagine Entertainment, and Phoenix Theatres all updated their listings to reflect the new runtime, according to Comic Basics. Pre-sale numbers at Regal are reported to be strong, driven largely by fans eager for new lore from Parsons.
Backrooms Points to a New Template for Horror Blockbusters
The Backrooms originated as a 'creepypasta' — a piece of internet horror fiction — on 4chan in 2019. It described an endless maze of yellow-carpeted office rooms. Parsons turned that concept into viral found-footage videos. A24 then turned those videos into a blockbuster. JoBlo noted the film shows that low-budget horror can achieve outsized box-office results.
Industry analysts at Deadline called Backrooms' performance a 'wake-up call' for major studios. The film's success is already pushing studios to look at other internet-native properties — from liminal space videos to YouTube horror series — as the next source of cheap, high-return IP.
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