BACKROOMS Director Kane Parsons Knows How the Franchise Will End and Teases New Characters for Sequels

Kane Parsons already knows where he wants to take the Backrooms franchise, including how the whole thing will eventually end. The 21-year-old filmmaker has some interesting ideas for future sequels, with new characters and stories he’s excited to explore. But he also knows there’s a point when it’s time to call it quits.

During an appearance on The Kyle Buchanan Show, Parsons talked about his plans for the horror franchise and explained why he has no interest in keeping it going forever just because people are watching.

“I think at a certain point you would know if continuation of Backrooms as a franchise would become—it’s done. You’ve said what there is to say,” Parsons said. “And there will be a point where the final hump of everything that has kind of been said with everything prior kind of all comes together, and then what’s left after that?”

Parsons has a specific ending in mind, although he isn't ready to share what that looks like. He believes the mythology has enough material to support several more stories, but once he reaches his intended conclusion, he wants to leave it alone rather than drag things out.

As for the Backrooms sequels, Parsons wants to take the franchise in some unexpected directions. He admitted that certain aspects of the first movie didn't quite capture what he considers the core appeal of the Backrooms concept, and he'd like to explore those ideas more effectively in future installments.

For Parsons, the Backrooms should feel stranger and harder to define than what audiences might expect from a traditional horror movie. He understood that bringing the concept to theaters would require some changes, but he still wants to get closer to the unsettling atmosphere he originally envisioned.

He also teased that there are specific characters he'd love to introduce in future films, although he wouldn't reveal who they are or whether they'll appear in the second movie.

One thing he made clear is that fans shouldn't expect the sequels to follow a straightforward narrative. Instead, he described the potential stories as “different branches on the tree.”

That approach could allow the franchise to explore entirely different corners of its mythology. Parsons also explained that the movies will be considerably different from his original YouTube series, which offered only brief glimpses into the larger mythology.

The films give him an opportunity to develop those ideas further, even if he eventually intends to bring everything to a definitive conclusion.

Personally, I wasn't a fan of Backrooms. I thought the movie was boring as hell, and it never delivered the kind of horror experience I was hoping for. I know there's a passionate fan base out there, and plenty of people apparently found it terrifying, but I just didn't see what was so scary about it.

Still, I can appreciate that Parsons has a larger vision for the franchise and isn't interested in pumping out endless sequels. Maybe exploring different characters and stranger corners of this world will make the next installment more interesting.

For those who loved the first movie, it sounds like Parsons has plenty more planned. For those of us who weren't impressed, perhaps the sequel will give us something worth getting excited about.