A24's 'Backrooms' earns $10 million in previews as Kane Parsons makes his directorial debut

Having already grossed more than $10 million in previews, Backrooms — the latest release from A24 and the debut feature from 20-year-old director Kane Parsons — is shaping up to be a significant box office success before it has even officially opened.

What the film is about

Now showing in cinemas nationwide, the horror film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Avan Jogia, and Lukita Maxwell, amongst others.

It follows a therapist who must venture into the backrooms — a series of liminal, unsettling spaces originally inspired by 4chan internet mythology — in search of a patient who has vanished without trace.

From YouTube to the big screen

Long before Backrooms reached cinemas, Parsons had already built a devoted following with a found footage-style YouTube series of the same name, which he began creating at just 16 years old.

The series follows a group of fictional researchers as they attempt to explore and document a series of mysterious liminal spaces, presented in deliberately grainy footage.

Individual videos range in length from a minute and a half to 45 minutes, with each instalment revealing a different corner of these undiscovered environments.

The 22-video web series has since accumulated more than 25 million views, and Parsons' YouTube channel, Kane Pixels, has amassed more than three million subscribers.

The feature film script

For the theatrical adaptation, Parsons co-wrote the screenplay alongside Will Soodik, who has previously contributed to productions including Westworld, Ash vs Evil Dead, and Homeland.

Watch the original series

For those wishing to prepare for a cinema viewing of Backrooms or looking to extend the experience after seeing the film, the complete YouTube series is available to watch in full on the Kane Pixels channel.