Teenage creator Kane Parsons will direct a Backrooms horror movie

A creator known for his scary YouTube videos will get an opportunity to reinvigorate the “found footage” subgenre of horror filmmaking. Kane Parsons, the 17-year-old behind the Kane Pixels channel, will direct a feature film inspired by the liminal space known as The Backrooms.

The Backrooms horror film will be directed by Parsons during his summer break from school. A24, Chernin Entertainment, 21 Laps Entertainment, and Atomic Monster will helm the project, which will be based on a screenplay from Roberto Patino. The film will have a powerful group of executive producers, including Stranger Things vet Shawn Levy and seasoned horror producer James Wan. 

The Backrooms is an example of a creepypasta — a scary story that spreads across the internet. After first circulating on forums like 4chan, The Backrooms came to life on YouTube thanks in large part to Parsons’ efforts. While The Backrooms can be filled with just about anything, Parsons managed to pack the spooky environment full of scares. The commenters on Parsons’ first Backrooms video suggested that the teenager was ready for his directorial debut — even before he signed on with the new A24 project.
Parsons’ colleagues in the online video industry have also praised his ingenuity and filmmaking ability. At the 2022 Streamy Awards, he received an honor from fellow creators MatPat and Stephanie. “In just a handful of videos, [Kane has] been able to capture our imaginations, create this incredibly deep world rich with lore, and most importantly of all, scare us senseless,” MatPat said during the ceremony.

We still have a ways to go before Parsons’ Backrooms feature arrives, but whenever the picture does hit theaters, it will continue several film industry trends. A24, for example, has distributed a string of films with ties to internet culture and online video. The acclaimed indie house released Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, which went from a Vimeo Staff Pick to an Oscar nomination. It has also picked up a horror film led by Australian YouTube sensations RackaRacka.

There has also been a trend of horror features inspired by copypastas, but many of them — especially the 2018 adaptation of Slender Man — have flopped. Parsons will try to improve that track record by revisiting the setting that made him famous. Based on his previous work, he’s the right man to reverse the trend.