Warner Bros. Top Executive Names the Secret to the Success of "Obsession" and "The Backrooms of Reality"

News 0
31 May 17:13

Co-chairman of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group Michael De Luca commented on the phenomenal success of A24's "The Backrooms of Reality" and Focus Features' "Obsession." Both projects were filmed by YouTube bloggers and are already breaking box office records: Kane Parsons' "The Backrooms of Reality" is aiming for $85-90 million on its opening weekend in North America, while Curry Barker's "Obsession" has already surpassed the $106 million mark.

According to De Luca, the secret to the success of young creators lies in their working method. They honed their skills online for years and were in direct dialogue with their subscribers from the very beginning, who literally influenced the development of the content.

"They hone their craft online. Kane worked on 'The Backrooms' for five years. These filmmakers are in dialogue with their audience from day one. Their subscribers directly influence every iteration of the project. By the time it comes to a full-fledged film, they have already gone through a billion test screenings."
Michael De Luca

He compared this approach to traditional Hollywood practice, where studios hold private screenings for a limited number of viewers and analyze their reactions:

"We work with a lot of directors, and the last thing they want is to sit at a private screening somewhere in Oxnard, Dallas, or Phoenix and wait for a focus group to tear their film apart. With these guys, it's the exact opposite. They have their own opinion and artistic vision, but they make movies for an audience that has been subscribed to their channels for years. This has become the testing ground. Therefore, by the time they are released, the films are already perfectly calibrated for their audience."
Michael De Luca

Read more on the topic: