A24 Names 17-Year-Old Kane Parsons Its Youngest Director for 'Backrooms'
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 29
A24 Names 17-Year-Old Kane Parsons Its Youngest Director for 'Backrooms'
6 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 29
Just months after turning 17, Kane Parsons landed an A24 feature deal for “Backrooms,” after his nine-minute “The Backrooms (Found Footage)” and follow-ups became a YouTube hit.
Two years of development carried the project from viral short to studio release, with Parsons casting Oscar nominees Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor before the film’s theatrical debut.
Parsons, now 20, said his age shadowed the production as he worried both about being taken seriously on set and about losing the online audience that made his name.
His rise reflects a broader pipeline from YouTube horror to theaters, alongside creators such as Mark Fischbach and Curry Barker, whose recent films also found surprise success.
Does the box office success of 'Backrooms' prove atmosphere now matters more than narrative for modern horror audiences?
Is a 20-year-old YouTuber's blockbuster debut the start of a new era for Hollywood's horror genre?