Barker, a first-time director, is part of a subset of YouTube creators who have achieved mainstream success at the box office. In January, YouTuber Mark Fischback (aka Markiplier) directed, self-financed and distributed the horror film “Iron Lung,” which earned a stellar $50 million against a $3 million budget. And next weekend’s sci-fi thriller “Backrooms,” from YouTube wunderkind Kane Parsons and A24, is poised for breakout status.
“This is the dream scenario for movie theaters,” Dergarabedian says. “Rather than small screen being adversarial, it can be additive and complimentary. If these YouTube creators can bring the audience from their laptop to the movie theater, that’s huge. Everyone is asking: How can movie theaters build their audience? Maybe, ironically, it’s the small screen.”
May 30, 2026
Carlos Valencia
Carlos Valencia