Exclusive: 'Backrooms’ Producers Cast Lily James in Their Next Horror Movie

Happy Monday, folks!

I hope everyone enjoyed the long holiday weekend. I know the folks at Disney and Pixar did, as Toy Story 5 opened to $160 million at the domestic box office — a new record for the beloved animated franchise.

I’m waiting for the kiddie crowds to thin out before catching up with Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the Toy Story gang. Instead, I saw Neon’s latest horror movie, Leviticus, this weekend, which I found a little underwhelming, if I’m being honest. It was okay, don’t get me wrong, and I think Stacy Clausen has got something, but I never really bought the central romance, and I thought the movie would be a whole lot scarier.

I still need to catch up with Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers, but so far, Neon’s slate this year — Alpha, Hokum, I Love Boosters — has been pretty disappointing, and I’m doubtful that Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell will turn things around.

Here’s hoping that Neon’s Cannes titles, such as Hope, Fjord, and Paper Tiger, deliver the goods. I’m also looking forward to Chloe Domont’s thriller A Place in Hell, which is expected to debut at one of the fall festivals.

This weekend brings DC’s Supergirl, which should open to roughly half of what Superman grossed last summer ($125 million). Warner Bros. has to be hoping for north of $60 million, but there will be stiff competition for men thanks to Jackass: Best and Last, while A24 is dropping its buzzy Sundance sex comedy The Invite starring Seth Rogen. Plus, Netflix has a new John Cena-Eric Andre comedy, which could convince some teenage boys to stay home altogether.

I’ll be back soon with the next entry in my Studio Mandate series, but today, I’ve got a hot scoop about what could be the next huge horror movie a la Obsession…

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