Viral horror video ‘The Backroom (Found Footage)’ to be turned into a feature film by A24
Over the past year, the 17-year-old director and VFX artist Kane Parsons has become an internet sensation following the viral hit of his creepy YouTube short The Backroom (Found Footage). It was the first in a series of found-footage horror videos that collectively gained nearly 100million views to date. Now, due to the success of the first video, it will be adapted for the big screen by A24, Atomic Monster, Chernin Entertainment and 21 Laps.
In an exclusive from Deadline, it was revealed that the teenage Parsons will direct from a script by Roberto Patino but will have to wait until his summer holidays commence to do so. Notably, screenwriter Patino has worked on shows such as DMZ, Westworld and Sons of Anarchy.
Currently, the plot details of the upcoming sci-fi horror are being kept secret. However, in the original short – set in the 1990s – the story follows a young filmmaker who falls into another dimension. This sees him wander through a creepy, complicated office space, which appears to host otherworldly creatures. Notably, the setting and title of the video draw on a famous internet urban legend published on 4chan in 2019.
Deadline also claimed that A24 was one of several studios chasing Backrooms, with their closing price point also unclear. Then, Lucas Ford brought it to 21 Laps, with Chris White doing so to Atomic Monster. A24 and Chernin Entertainment will co-finance the project.
Stranger Things‘ Shawn Levy will produce for 21 Laps alongside Dan Cohen and Dan Levine, with James Wan and Michael Clear doing so for Atomic Monster, and Patino also having an input. Alanya Glasthal will steer for Atomic Monster, with Judson Scott executively producing for them alongside White.
So far, Parsons has created 16 entries for the Backrooms YouTube series, uploading the latest, Backrooms – Damage Control, only days ago. Little else is known about the budding Californian auteur besides launching his YouTube channel in 2015.
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