Streaming Debut Follows Theatrical Success

A24’s horror film Backrooms is set to begin streaming on HBO Max on Friday, September 25, according to reports from Deadline, Gizmodo, Screen Rant, and Us Weekly. Deadline and Us Weekly note that the film will have its linear television debut the following day, Saturday, September 26, at 8 m. ET on HBO. The move comes after the movie completed its theatrical run, with Us Weekly placing it among several horror titles that performed strongly in 2026.

Deadline reports that the overall theatrical-to-streaming window stands at 119 days. The film first became available for digital purchase and rental on July 14, after a 46-day theatrical window. A24 maintains an ongoing streaming licensing arrangement with HBO Max that has already brought other titles from the studio to the service, Us Weekly notes.

From Viral Videos to Box-Office Milestone

Backrooms is directed by Kane Parsons and adapted from the Backrooms creepypasta as well as Parsons’ own YouTube web series. Screen Rant reports that Parsons launched the series in 2022; its first episode has drawn more than 90 million views, and he released 24 episodes through early 2025. The feature expands the concept into a 110-minute psychological horror story centered on childhood trauma.

According to multiple outlets, the plot follows furniture-store owner Clark, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who discovers a doorway in the store’s basement that leads into an endless network of interconnected yellow-hued rooms where time bends and something appears to lie in wait. Renate Reinsve portrays Dr. Mary Kline, the therapist who enters the space in an attempt to rescue him. Supporting cast members include Mark Duplass as Phil, Finn Bennett as Robert “Bobby” Franklin, Lukita Maxwell as Kathrine “Kat” Taylor, Ember Ambrose as young Mary, Avan Jogia as Naren Warne, Robert Bobroczkyi as Pirate Clark, and Krista Kosonen as Nora Kline.

Will Soodik wrote the screenplay based on Parsons’ series. Parsons also co-wrote the film’s music with Edo Van Breemen, Us Weekly reports. Production involved Chernin Entertainment as co-financier alongside co-producers Blumhouse Atomic Monster, 21 Laps, and Phobos, Deadline states. Producers listed across reports include James Wan, Shawn Levy, Jason Blum, Osgood Perkins, Peter Chernin, and others; executive producers include Parsons himself.

Commercial Performance and Critical Reception

Backrooms opened in theaters on May 29. Deadline states it earned $81.2 million domestically in its opening weekend, well above $30 million projections, and posted a $118 million global opening that marked the largest debut in A24 history. Screen Rant reports the film debuted at No. 1, displacing The Mandalorian and Grogu. Global totals are described variously as $396.5 million by Deadline, $393 million by Screen Rant, and nearly $400 million by Us Weekly; all sources agree the result makes Backrooms A24’s highest-grossing film to date. Us Weekly places the production budget at $10 million.

Gizmodo attributes part of the commercial strength to the pre-existing audience from Parsons’ web series, the casting of Oscar nominees Ejiofor and Reinsve, and the film’s near-simultaneous arrival alongside another horror title, Obsession. Screen Rant notes that Parsons became the youngest director to open a film at No. 1. The movie holds a Certified Fresh critic score of 87 percent and an audience score of 74 percent, according to Screen Rant, and received Critics’ Choice Super Awards nominations for Best Horror Movie as well as acting nods for Ejiofor and Reinsve.

New Web Episode and Sequel Interest

Following the theatrical success, Parsons has returned to YouTube with a new 16-minute Backrooms episode titled “Everything Must Go,” Screen Rant reports. The installment formed part of an extended theatrical cut released in early July under the title Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition. The same outlet states that Parsons has expressed interest in making a feature sequel. Gizmodo observes that a mysterious research institute linked to Duplass’s character leaves narrative threads that could support further stories.

Physical media is also forthcoming. Screen Rant reports that a Blu-ray edition will include the “Everything Must Go” footage along with commentary, featurettes, and collectible postcards, while the film remains available for digital buy and rental.

The combination of internet origins, strong theatrical returns, and continued short-form content positions Backrooms as a notable expansion of online horror lore into mainstream cinema and streaming.