A24 Opens Kane Parsons' 'Backrooms' on May 29, Betting on 19-Year-Old YouTube Horror Creator
Updated
Updated · IndieWire · May 27
A24 Opens Kane Parsons' 'Backrooms' on May 29, Betting on 19-Year-Old YouTube Horror Creator
9 articles · Updated · IndieWire · May 27
May 29 marks the theatrical opening of A24's "Backrooms," the feature debut of Kane Parsons, who was tapped to adapt his viral series when he was 17.
A24's bet grew out of Parsons' YouTube expansion of the 2019 "Backrooms" creepypasta, a liminal-horror concept that drew Hollywood interest while he was still in high school.
Parsons said he chose the studio path over college after A24 optioned the project in fall 2022, even as he kept viewing the opportunity as risky and potentially short-lived.
A 70-page mythology document underpins the universe, but Parsons said he deliberately limited lore in the 90-minute film to keep the story accessible and leave room for more films or a series.
The release positions Parsons as a rare internet-native filmmaker trying to keep one foot in Hollywood and one on YouTube rather than treating online work as a stepping stone.
As 'Backrooms' hits theaters, will it redefine psychological horror or just be another overhyped internet trend?
Can a 20-year-old YouTuber successfully direct A-list actors in a major A24 horror film?
Can a viral internet myth sustain a feature film, or will its story get lost in its own unsettling hallways?