‘Backrooms’ debuts on HBO Max in Britain and Ireland on October 26: A24’s new deal with the platform

HBO Max has announced a new licensing deal with the independent studio A24, which will bring a range of films and series to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The crown of the offer is the horror hit “Backrooms”, which makes its exclusive streaming debut in both countries on Monday, October 26, 2026 — a date chosen especially ahead of Halloween night, as Geektown reports, based on the platform’s official announcement.

The deal, announced on September 30, covers A24’s new films in the first broadcast window, films from later windows and a selection of catalogue titles, while more new films are expected to be announced soon. “Backrooms”, from 20-year-old director Kane Parsons — the youngest director of a feature film in A24’s history — stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. The film, adapted from Parsons’ viral internet series about the endless yellow labyrinth of rooms, has grossed over $400 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in the studio’s history.

As part of the same deal, the first season of the sports documentary “Born to Bowl” arrives on October 13, following professional bowlers Kyle Troup, Anthony Simonsen, EJ Tackett, Cameron Crowe and Jason Belmonte, with narration by Liev Schreiber. During the term of the deal, A24 catalogue titles such as “The Whale”, “Warfare” and “Moonlight” will also be added.

The announcement was accompanied by HBO Max’s deal with AMC Global Media: the satirical drama about the tech world “The Audacity”, starring Billy Magnussen and created by Jonathan Glatzer (“Succession”, “Bad Sisters”), will have its exclusive premiere in Britain and Ireland on October 22, with weekly episodes — while the second season, already in production, arrives in 2027. Also entering the October schedule are “Line of Duty” (seasons 1–6) and the films “The Spine of Night” and “Oddity”, along with Steven Soderbergh’s “The Christophers” and “Moss & Freud”, about Kate Moss’s experience as Lucian Freud’s model.