Backrooms Sets HBO Max Streaming Premiere After Record Box Office
A24's Backrooms, which earned $396.5 million globally, will begin streaming on HBO Max on September 25, with a linear broadcast the following evening. Directed by Kane Parsons, the film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as a furniture store owner who becomes trapped in a surreal, endless network of rooms. The cast also includes Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell.
The film’s streaming debut follows a theatrical run that far exceeded expectations, with global ticket sales reaching $396.5 million. Directed by Kane Parsons, the story centers on a furniture store owner, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who gets lost in an endless, surreal maze of rooms. The cast also includes Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell.
HBO Max will host the title starting Friday, September 25, with a linear broadcast scheduled for the next evening at 8 p.m. ET. The movie is adapted from the popular “Backrooms” internet lore, a niche digital phenomenon that gained mainstream traction through this release.
This rapid transition from record box office to streaming may signal how studios now balance theatrical success with platform exclusivity, potentially shortening the traditional home-video window. Viewers who missed the cinema run could gain easy access, while the film’s internet-based origin may draw younger, digitally native audiences to HBO Max. Its performance could also encourage more adaptations of online folklore, though the long-term cultural footprint depends on whether the story resonates beyond its initial viral appeal.