Viral YouTube Horror Turned Into A24 Movie Gets a Massive Production Update

The internet’s creepiest urban legend is officially heading to the big screen. The Backrooms, a viral YouTube horror series created by Kane Parsons, is now being made into a feature film, with A24 set to release it in 2026.

Parsons, who first gained attention as a teenager through his channel Kane Pixels, will be making his directorial debut. The screenplay is written by Roberto Patino and Will Soodik.

A24 earlier confirmed that the movie has wrapped filming and will be released in 2026.

2026 pic.twitter.com/GmMyk2uHqA

— A24 (@A24) August 18, 2025

For those who aren’t familiar, The Backrooms started as a creepypasta, a short horror story shared online. The story describes a strange, endless maze of yellowed office spaces that feels like a glitch in reality.

People who “noclip” out of the real world, as gamers would say, might suddenly find themselves stuck in this liminal nightmare. The endless hum of fluorescent lights, damp carpets, and claustrophobic rooms gave it a uniquely eerie quality. Parsons’ YouTube videos expanded this idea, turning it into a cinematic horror universe that quickly went viral.

The movie will take the concept further with a new story. According to the official synopsis, it follows a therapist whose patient disappears into this strange dimension. Determined to save him, she must travel into the endless, shifting halls of the Backrooms and face whatever lurks inside.

A24 has brought together an impressive cast for the project. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, and Avan Jogia will star. Ejiofor signed on in June 2025, while Reinsve replaced Cristin Milioti, who was originally in talks for the role. The rest of the cast was confirmed by July.

Production kicked off in Vancouver on July 7, 2025, under the working title Effigy. Cinematographer Jeremy Cox led the visuals, which are expected to bring the unsettling atmosphere of the internet series to life. Filming wrapped just over a month later, on August 19, 2025.

The idea of the Backrooms has been so popular online because of its simplicity. The concept taps into the unease of “liminal spaces” — places that feel strangely familiar yet completely wrong. As one fan once described, it’s like being trapped in an old office building that has no exits, where every hallway looks the same and you’re never sure if you’re alone.

The movie has been in the works since February 2023, when A24 announced they were teaming up with Chernin Entertainment, Atomic Monster, and 21 Laps Entertainment to bring Parsons’ viral world into theaters. For Parsons, who was only a teenager when he first posted the videos, it’s a major step forward.

Fans of both horror and internet lore will have to wait until 2026 to step into The Backrooms on the big screen.

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