Box Office Showdown: Scary Movie 6 Hits $7.5M Previews as Backrooms and Masters of the Universe Battle It Out
Scary Movie 6 Is Dominating Thursday Previews — But the Real Fight Is Behind It
If you thought summer 2026 was going to be quiet at the box office, think again. This Friday's theatrical lineup looks like a three-way cage match, and the early numbers are wild. Paramount and Miramax's Scary Movie 6 just pulled in an estimated $7.5 million in Thursday previews — a monster number for an R-rated comedy and arguably the biggest story of the weekend. But it's not the only movie making noise.
Amazon MGM Studios dropped $170 million on Masters of the Universe, directed by Travis Knight and starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man alongside Idris Elba, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, and Alison Brie. It pulled in around $4 million in previews — respectable, but overshadowed by the spoof juggernaut sitting at the top.
Meanwhile, A24's Backrooms, adapted from the viral YouTube horror series by 20-year-old filmmaker Kane Parsons, is already sitting pretty after an $81 million opening last weekend and is projected to hold strong in the $32–37 million range for its second frame. Yes, a YouTube-originated horror movie is outperforming a $170M toy franchise. Read that again.
Why Scary Movie 6 Is Breaking Expectations
Let's talk about the elephant in the theater. The new Scary Movie, directed by Michael Tiddes and starring the returning trio of Anna Faris, Regina Hall, and Marlon and Shawn Wayans, was originally projected to open between $40–45 million domestically. Those Thursday preview numbers suggest it could blow past that and set a franchise record with a $50 million+ debut.
To put that in perspective: $7.5M in previews puts it neck-and-neck with Scream 7 ($7.8M previews, $63.6M franchise-record opening) and even ahead of Bad Boys: Ride or Die ($5.875M previews). Critics are giving it a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences are clearly on board — the audience score sits at a solid 68%. The budget? A modest $30 million. The ROI potential? Enormous.
Masters of the Universe: Nostalgia Isn't Enough?
Here's where it gets complicated for Amazon MGM. Despite the star power of Galitzine, Elba, and Mendes, Masters of the Universe is facing the same problem that sunk Disney's Tron: Ares — critics aren't sold. That said, the reviews are significantly better: 71% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 89% audience score. Tron: Ares, by comparison, tanked at 52% with critics.
The comparison to the Ghostbusters sequels is apt — Ghostbusters: Afterlife ($4.5M previews, $44M opening) and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ($4.7M previews, $45M opening) had similar preview numbers. The real test comes on Saturday when families actually show up. But with Scary Movie 6 eating up the comedy audience and Backrooms dominating the horror crowd, He-Man might end up in third place.
The Bottom Line
Weekend box office results are shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable of 2026. Scary Movie 6 could deliver the franchise's biggest opening ever. Backrooms is proving that indie horror rooted in internet culture can compete with studio tentpoles. And Masters of the Universe — despite the talent of Travis Knight directing and a cast including Idris Elba and Camila Mendes — may prove that nostalgia alone doesn't guarantee a blockbuster.
Grab your popcorn. This weekend's box office is going to be one for the history books.
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