Kane Parsons Says THE BACKROOMS May Expand Into a TV Series Before a Movie Sequel
The future of the Backrooms franchise looks bigger than ever, but it might not unfold the way moviegoers expect.
After its massive debut at the box office, a sequel to Backrooms feels inevitable. The film exploded past expectations during its opening weekend, pulling in $81.4 million domestically after early projections estimated a launch between $40 million and $50 million. T
he success also earned several milestones, including the biggest opening weekend in the history of A24 and making Kane Parsons the youngest director at 20 years old to lead the domestic box office during an opening weekend.
With numbers like that, Backrooms 2 seems like a sure thing. But while fans may be expecting another movie announcement, Parsons has his sights set on something a little different.
The filmmaker has previously talked about building a larger franchise around the unsettling world he first introduced through his wildly popular YouTube series. According to Parsons, the movie was only the beginning of a much bigger story.
“Without a doubt, Backrooms has always been planned to be more of a series that goes outside the confines of this film,” Parsons told Polygon. “If anything, I would say this is a bit of a foot in the door that would lead to more of a progression towards the true root of the narrative, which has been set up online for years.”
That idea becomes even more interesting when Parsons discusses the format he'd most like to use moving forward. He explained that television is actually his preferred medium for telling these stories.
“A series would be my dream scenario, personally. I think that’s the most practical way to narratively get what you want. But obviously, a series is a whole thing. So it won’t be immediate, it won’t be ‘snap your fingers and it’s here.’
“And in general, the series, in my mind, is not determined by its genre label. The way I think of it is definitely a lot more of an interpersonal sort of drama built on top of a supernatural techno-thriller. That’s more the space I feel comfortable in.”
That description suggests Parsons sees Backrooms as something far more expansive than a straightforward horror franchise. The blend of character-driven drama, mystery, and supernatural sci-fi elements could be a natural fit for a serialized television format, allowing the mythology of the Backrooms to grow in ways a feature film simply can't accommodate.
The good news for fans is that Parsons has no plans to leave the franchise behind anytime soon. In fact, he says there are already additional projects in development.
“For people who are into it, I’ve got a contract, and I got a hold at my end, and that means I am definitely not done with Backrooms. I’ve got very specific things that I’m working on, things are in the works right now that I am eager to be able to talk about, but, currently, it’s still in a secret mystery world.”
Exactly what happens next remains unclear. Without knowing the details of Parsons' agreement with A24 and the producers, there's no way to know whether another film is required before a television series can move forward. Based on his comments, though, it sounds like a Backrooms TV series is the project he's most excited about pursuing.
Either way, the franchise is just getting started. Whether the next chapter arrives as Backrooms 2 or a full-blown television series, Parsons appears committed to exploring the strange, unsettling universe that first captivated audiences online and has now become a box office phenomenon.