‘Backrooms’ Scores $10M in Previews, Eyes Massive $70–80M Opening Weekend

A24’s Backrooms earned $10.4 million in Thursday night previews, according to Deadline. The preview total is slightly ahead of Five Nights at Freddy’s, which made $10.3 million in previews, and sets a new preview-night record for A24, surpassing Civil War‘s $2.9 million.

Current opening weekend projections range from $63.6 million to $80 million, well above earlier forecasts of $40 million to $45 million, and $20 million before that. Tracking data also indicates strong interest among both men and women under 25, with awareness levels approaching those seen for Final Destination: Bloodlines, which opened to $51.6 million.

Exit polling from Screen Engine/Comscore showed strong turnout among younger moviegoers. Audiences aged 18-24 accounted for 43% of attendees, while those aged 18-34 made up 76%.

In Backrooms, Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Clark, a furniture store owner who discovers a portal to a strange, empty office space hidden in the back of his shop.

Lukita Maxwell, Mark Duplass, and Finn Bennett also star in the A24 horror movie set to be one of the biggest of the year.

Enter the liminal space this weekend.