A24’s ‘Backrooms’ is the movie to watch this weekend, with 20-year-old director Kane Parsons launching his internet horror phenomenon on the big-screen, and tracking for a $40 million-$45 million domestic opening. That could be enough to challenge Disney and Lucasfilm’s ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ for No. 1 and would mark the biggest opening ever for an A24 film, ahead of ‘Civil War’’s $25.5 million debut in 2024.

The film represents a major crossover moment for online-born horror and younger moviegoers. Parsons, known online as Kane Pixel, first launched Backrooms as a viral internet concept that spread from 4chan to Reddit before expanding into games and a found-footage YouTube series made with Blender and Unreal Engine. That series has drawn more than 190 million views.

For fans, the big-screen version carries extra weight because Parsons himself is directing the feature. The R-rated genre film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve and Mark Duplass, and begins previews Thursday at 4 p.m. before opening Friday in around 3,000 theaters.

Advance ticket sales are reportedly pacing near ‘Scream 7,’ though distribution sources caution that Backrooms is expected to be front-loaded. Even so, a debut in the projected range would be a major win for A24, Chernin Entertainment and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, and another sign that studios are learning how to translate internet-native IP into theatrical success.

‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ is expected to drop roughly 60% in its second weekend to around $40 million, after reaching a domestic total of $104.5 million. The Star Wars title will keep Imax screens in its second and third weekends, which should help its hold.

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