After 'Backrooms' and 'Obsession,' YouTubers draw Hollywood interest

YouTuber-helmed horror hits "Obsession" and "Backrooms" beat Disney's "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" this past weekend in ticket sales. They build on an earlier box-office darling, "Iron Lung," from YouTuber Markiplier (Mark Edward Fischbach), showing how a digital creator with a small budget can draw movie-theater crowds.

Hollywood is beginning to make bets on YouTube creators, with industry insiders saying horror and comedy will lead the way because they're cheaper to produce and can be box-office draws. Large-scale investments remain rare due to the limited number of creators with proven directing and writing experience; follower counts don't always translate to Hollywood success, and talent and storytelling chops carry more weight.

Some creators have already crossed over: Kinigra Deon directed "Sundown" for Tubi through a deal with Kevin Hart's Hartbeat, Gray Fagan released the comedy "Senior Prank" on Tubi, and Kelon Campbell (Psyiconic) had a film based on his character Terri Joe debut on a streamer in 2026.

youtubers, backrooms, obsession, iron lung, markiplier, box office, hollywood, horror, comedy, kevin hart