The recent film adaptation of the popular Backrooms internet phenomenon has proven to be a significant success, earning nearly $120 million worldwide in its opening weekend and setting a new record for the best A24 release. This strong performance has fueled speculation and hope among fans for further exploration of the mysterious lore.
Director Kane Parsons, who initially gained fame for his Backrooms YouTube series created in Blender under the name Kane Pixels, has indicated that his work with the franchise is far from over. Speaking with Variety, Parsons confirmed that he has a contract that allows him to continue developing the Backrooms narrative beyond the scope of the recent film. "I am definitely not done with Backrooms," he stated.
While a direct sequel to the movie has not been officially confirmed, the director's remarks suggest it is a strong possibility. Parsons also expressed a desire to continue engaging with the YouTube platform, where he first gained a massive audience with videos exploring the horrors of liminal spaces. He feels creatively fulfilled by the medium and believes it offers unique opportunities for projects that might not be feasible in other formats.
"I don't want to leave YouTube behind. I immensely enjoy the work I've done there, and I feel creatively fulfilled by it in a way that's proportional to what I've done with this film," Parsons said. He also noted that "there's a lot of projects that I just could never do outside of YouTube, or outside of a more free-form internet multimedia container."
Parsons' original Backrooms videos, which began in 2022, garnered tens of millions of views. These early works delved into unsettling liminal spaces, including a subterranean shopping mall in "The Oldest View" and a fictional adventure game setting in "People Still Live Here." The director views the current film as an initial step into a larger, ongoing story. "Without a doubt, Backrooms has always been planned to be more of a series that goes outside the confines of this film," Parsons explained. "If anything, I would say this is a bit of a foot in the door that would lead to more of a progression towards the true root of the narrative, which has been set up online for years."