A24 is dipping into the world of internet creepypastas with the announcement of their next horror flick The Backrooms. Produced alongside experienced horror houses Atomic Monster (Annabelle, M3gan) , Chernin Entertainment (Fear Street) and 21 Laps Entertainment (Stranger Things), it will be directed by 17-year-old VFK artist Kane Parsons, who’s vision of The Backrooms is one of the more popular on Youtube.
Originating in 2019 on, where else, 4chan; The Backrooms are an area outside of reality, something you can “no clip” into. It’s a place of beige carpet, white falls, and buzzing fluorescent lights. It has, per the original post, six hundred million square miles of randomly segmented empty rooms to be trapped in, and “something” is stalking you. Since that post, The Backrooms have developed quite a bit as posters on 4chan, reddit, and elsewhere have added levels, threats, and characters similar to the way Slenderman or the SCP Foundation grew (and crossovers between those and The Backrooms have been made many times).
Kane Parsons uploaded his vision of The Backrooms onto his channel Kane Pixels in January of 2022, and the original video has gotten over 44 million views as of the time of this writing. He’s since added 15 videos to his Backrooms playlist, creating a contained universe that’s been compared to Marble Hornets’ take on Slenderman (which got its own film adaptation in 2015). According to A24, Parsons will direct during his summer vacation. Roberto Patino (DMZ, Westworld) is producing and writing the screenplay. The plot is still under wraps.
Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Dan Levine are producing for 21 Laps Entertainment. Lucas Ford from 21 Laps brought the project into the company. James Wan and Michael Clear are producing for Wan’s Atomic Monster, with Judson Scott executive producing and Alayna Glasthal overseeing for the company. Chris White brought the project to Atomic Monster and will be executive producing. Chernin and A24 are co-financing the project.
Images via A24
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