Hollywood has long pondered if success on YouTube could make waves at the box office. Recent trends highlight a clear answer.

‘Backrooms,’ a psychological horror movie released by A24, is making headlines. Directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, who amassed 342 million views on YouTube, the film launched in 3,400 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. By Sunday, it is expected to earn at least $60 million, as per box office analysts.

Steven Spielberg’s upcoming science-fiction feature, ‘Disclosure Day,’ is set to debut soon with an anticipated $35 million opening. For context, A24 invested around $10 million in ‘Backrooms,’ featuring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. Conversely, Universal Pictures invested roughly $115 million in ‘Disclosure Day,’ starring Emily Blunt.

‘Backrooms’ represents a new wave of films by directors emerging from YouTube, not traditional Hollywood paths. Other creators like Curry Barker and Mark Fischbach have similarly translated online success into unexpected box-office success this year.

‘It’s not an anomaly. It’s the start of a gigantic shift. These are the cinematic insurgents of our era,’ said Stephen Galloway, dean of Chapman University’s film school.

‘Obsession,’ directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker, who is known for comedy and horror videos on YouTube, has grossed $74 million in North America over two weeks. This comedy-horror-thriller cost $750,000 to make without any big stars. It may reach an impressive $100 million before its theatrical run concludes.