At just 20 years old, Kane Parsons has become the youngest director to helm an A24 film, and early buzz suggests his feature debut, Backrooms, could become one of the studio's top earners. Shot in Vancouver, the film adapts Parsons' viral YouTube series Backrooms (Found Footage) and is expected to far exceed its $10-million budget.
From Creepypasta to Cinema
Set in 1990, Backrooms follows Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a frustrated furniture store owner spiraling after separating from his wife. While living in his store, he discovers an otherworldly portal in the basement, leading to a vast, eerie space filled with endless yellow-wallpapered rooms and buzzing fluorescent lights. When Clark goes missing, his therapist (Renate Reinsve) must enter this distorted realm to retrieve him.
The film's origin dates back to 2019, when Parsons, then based in Petaluma, California, took a screenshot of a 4chan creepypasta and used free 3D animation software to create The Backrooms (Found Footage) series, which has since garnered nearly 80 million views.
A Cautious Rise to Fame
Once his YouTube work gained traction, Hollywood came calling. Parsons, a self-taught VFX artist, received numerous emails from unfamiliar companies. 'I approached with extreme caution because I loved this project,' he said. 'I saw suits take a chainsaw to IPs I grew up loving. I assumed everyone had dollar signs in their eyes.' However, he wisely recognized that rushing could cost him dearly.
A24 paired Parsons, who co-wrote the screenplay with Will Soodik, with Vancouver producer Chris Ferguson of Phobos, a production company co-founded with horror filmmaker Osgood Perkins. Ferguson praised Parsons: 'He's wildly intelligent and thoughtful. I quickly got past his age because he's more sophisticated than many directors twice his age.'
Building a Safe Space for Creativity
The process began with a test shoot to familiarize Parsons with a professional crew. The test succeeded, leading to a feature that blends creepiness, scares, and visual sophistication. 'Chris Ferguson has been great,' Parsons said. 'I owe much of the success to his understanding of the source material and desire to go deep.'
Ferguson ensured the crew was experienced, drawing from Perkins' film team. 'I didn't want to throw him to the wolves,' Ferguson said. 'We put him in the safest space possible.'
Winning Over Actors
Despite concerns about Parsons' lack of experience with actors, his rapport with Ejiofor and Reinsve was immediate. 'They wanted to talk to him longer and longer,' Ferguson noted. 'All three approached every piece from an idea perspective, building performances from the depth of Kane's concepts.'
Parsons also co-wrote the score with Vancouver composer Edo Van Breeman, ensuring it retained the original IP's feel. 'Music and sound are my favorite components,' he said. 'Just because it's Hollywood-ified doesn't mean it loses its DNA.'
Backrooms hits theatres May 29, and Parsons remains confident about his fan base: 'I think they'll see we're delivering the same detail and tonality, just in a slightly different container.'
