Michael De Luca at the 16th Annual Produced By Conference at Universal Studios, on Saturday, May 30, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Pictures Chief Mike De Luca knows exactly why A24’s “Backrooms” and Focus Features’ “Obsession” are doing really well at the box office — and it has everything to do with where the directors came from.
“they work on their skills online.
Kane worked on ‘Backrooms’ for five years,” De Luca said Saturday at the Produced By Conference. “these filmmakers talk directly with their audience from the beginning. their followers help shape each part of their work.”
The success of both movies, De Luca said, comes down to access — the old gatekeeping that kept young filmmakers out of Hollywood has changed.
“It used to be really expensive for a young writer-director to make a short film or an actual full-length independent movie,” De Luca added.
“Now the tools for making films are cheaper. You can put something on YouTube and have a producer see it, and you don’t need to go to film school.”
De Luca also gave credit to producers for doing the hard work, pointing out “Obsession” producer James Harris, who found Barker by watching shorts on YouTube.
“good for him for finding that guy first,” De Luca said.
“But that’s available to all producers. YouTube and TikTok and Instagram are where new talent is. They’re improving their skills without needing to go to film school or follow some strict path.”
De Luca’s comments match what Jason Blum, from Blumhouse, said earlier in the day.
He compared today’s filmmakers, who started on YouTube, to the 1970s film auteur movement.
“a little bit like the 70s, I would say the writer-director is the star again, which I think is fantastic,” he said.
