A sequel to the surprise indie horror hit Backrooms is reportedly in the works, with original director Kane Parsons set to return. Dread Central reports that an official announcement regarding Backrooms 2 is imminent, and that the project will be Parsons' next film.
The original Backrooms film, based on Parsons' viral YouTube web series, was picked up by A24 and became a significant box office success. The movie grossed nearly $400 million globally against a modest production budget, a return of approximately 40 times its investment. Parsons, who directed the film, had previously hinted at a continuation of the story in an interview with Variety in May. He stated that Backrooms was envisioned as a series that would expand beyond the confines of the first film, confirming he had a contract in place to continue the project.
This latest report aligns with industry insider speculation from June, when entertainment insider Jeff Sneider claimed that Parsons was collaborating on a new project with Backrooms producer Osgood Perkins. At the time, the nature of the project was unclear, but the current claims suggest it is indeed a sequel.
The Backrooms franchise originated from a photograph of a strange, liminal space that captured Parsons' imagination. He transformed this image into a horror web series on YouTube, which rapidly gained popularity before being adapted into the feature film. While Parsons has discussed the ending of the first film, there remains extensive lore and unanswered questions that a sequel could explore, potentially expanding the universe established in the initial movie and web series.