17-year-old hired by horror legends to direct new scary movie during his school vacation
Well if this isn't a dream come true...
Hollywood adapting things that went "viral" on the internet isn't a brand new thing, but it is absolutely picking up steam lately. Upcoming comedy Marcel The Shell With Shoes On began life as a series of short comedy videos on YouTube, and now it has been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2023 Oscars.
Everything from District 9 to Zola to Slender Man began life on the internet, but even amongst these sensations, the story of how The Backrooms has made its way to the big screen stands alone. Created by now 17-year-old Kane Parsons, the horror anthology series has racked up over 100 million views on his YouTube channel, including the first entry which has over 44 million views since it debuted over a year ago.
The nine-minute video features some very impressive special effects, creature design and soundscapes that combine to completely unnerve and scare. It doesn't necessarily make much sense, but we're guessing that is mostly the point...
Off the back of its popularity, Parsons has signed on to direct the feature-length version of The Backrooms... with production taking place this summer, while he is on holiday from school. Among the producers include A24, famous for their high-brow horror (Hereditary, Ex Machina, Green Room), as well as Shawn Levy (Stranger Things, Arrival, The Boogeyman) and James Wan (The Conjuring, M3GAN, Aquaman).
The script will be provided by Roberto Pantino (Westworld, Sons of Anarchy, DMZ), although no specific plot details or even a potential release date for The Backrooms have been provided yet.
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