Kane Parsons becomes youngest film-maker to open at No 1 in the US with Backrooms
Kane Parsons has made history as the youngest film-maker to debut at number one in the North American box office with his film Backrooms. At just 20 years old, he surpassed the previous record held by Josh Trank, who was 27 when his film Chronicle opened. Backrooms achieved an impressive $81 million in its opening weekend, setting a record for studio A24.
- ▪Kane Parsons is the youngest film-maker to open a film at number one in North America with Backrooms.
- ▪The film earned $81 million in its first weekend, a record for A24.
- ▪Parsons is seven years younger than the previous record holder, Josh Trank, who was 27 when Chronicle opened.
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| Original publisher | the Guardian |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jun/01/kane-parsons-20-youngest-film-maker-no-1-us-backrooms |
| Publication time | Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:19:04 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-06-01T09:50:53.891Z |
| Last seen | 2026-06-01T09:50:53.891Z |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Kane Parsons attends the Backrooms screening at Vue West End on 19 May in London. Photograph: Dave Benett/Alan Chapman/Getty Images for A24 FilmsView image in fullscreenKane Parsons attends the Backrooms screening at Vue West End on 19 May in London. Photograph: Dave Benett/Alan Chapman/Getty Images for A24 FilmsBackroomsKane Parsons becomes youngest film-maker to open at No 1 in the US with BackroomsBackrooms stunned industry observers by taking $81m in its first weekend, a record for studio A24Andrew PulverMon 1 Jun 2026 05.19 EDTLast modified on Mon 1 Jun 2026 05.21 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleKane Parsons has become the youngest film-maker to open a film at number one at the North American box office for his directing debut Backrooms.Parsons, 20, is seven years younger than…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at the Guardian.
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