How Backrooms Went From Internet Creepypasta To Major Movie Release Explained

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Every now and then, a horror movie really breaks through and captivates audiences. In 2025, Sinners and Weapons both achieved this, becoming both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. While it’s still too early to say which horror film will be the biggest hit of 2026 (with Obsession gaining attention), Backrooms is quickly becoming a strong contender.

Interest in the movie really took off when the first trailers came out. The story seemed fascinating, the clips were creepy and suspenseful, and the film boasts a talented cast. It had all the makings of a movie people would be discussing for a while. Now that Backrooms is in theaters, critics are giving it good reviews, which should boost ticket sales.

While Backrooms is visually impressive, the story of how it was made is just as fascinating. The film began as a popular YouTube series, drawing inspiration from various sources. The journey to creating Backrooms involved many people and faced several challenges during production, making its creation a lengthy and interesting process.

Backrooms Was Inspired By A Creepypasta

Many people don’t know that the idea behind Backrooms originally came from a popular online horror story called a “creepypasta.” These are essentially scary legends that spread across the internet, covering everything from ghosts and aliens to zombies and spooky rituals. They can be short blurbs or long, multi-part stories. Some creepypastas are so convincing that people actually believe they’re true. A disturbing example of this was the Slender Man stabbing, where a girl with schizophrenia attempted to kill another in an attempt to prove Slender Man was real and appease him.

I remember when the whole “backrooms” thing started – it was born out of a random 4chan thread back in 2019. Though, honestly, those unsettling photos of a carpeted room with buzzing fluorescent lights had been floating around online for years, even as early as 2011. Someone finally asked for images that just felt…wrong, and that’s when one user posted a picture and gave it the name ‘the backrooms,’ really kicking things off.

Be careful not to fall outside of reality, because if you do, you might end up in the Backrooms. It’s a terrifying place filled with the smell of damp carpet, unsettling yellow colors, and the constant, irritating buzz of fluorescent lights. It’s made up of countless empty rooms, and if you hear anything moving around, know that it’s likely heard you too – and you’re truly trapped.

This helped the story grow online, attracting over 150,000 members to the r/backrooms subreddit by 2022. That same year, a YouTube series launched, making the story even more popular.

Kane Parsons Started With A YouTube Series

Kane Parsons launched his popular Backrooms web series on January 7, 2022. The initial short film, titled The Backrooms (Found Footage), quickly gained over 78 million views by early 2026 and led to the creation of 23 more films in the series. Primarily set in the 1990s, the story follows the Async Research Institute as they investigate the mysterious Backrooms, hoping to understand them. However, their research leads to increasingly dangerous situations and the unexplained disappearance of multiple people.

I’ve been a big fan of Parsons’ work for a while now. He used to make awesome videos all about Attack on Titan, but he wanted to try something different. He stumbled upon these creepy online stories, creepypasta, and got this amazing idea to build the settings in 3D using Blender. Then, he used After Effects to really bring it to life. It took him about a month, but his first short was incredible! He’s said the creepypasta really taps into a weird nostalgia for the late ’90s and early 2000s – like a half-forgotten childhood memory, which I totally get!

The web series has generally been well-received, with some viewers even calling it the scariest content online. Interestingly, the creator, Parsons, didn’t realize how popular the original creepypasta stories were when he began. While some initially criticized his take on the concept, his version eventually gained a following of its own. He was recognized for his work with a Creator Honor at the Streamy Awards in 2022 and continued producing the series until 2025.

The Film Has Some Big Names Attached

Kane Parsons began discussions about adapting his series into a movie. He first considered a comic book version, but by February 2023, the film was officially approved, with Parsons directing his first feature-length movie. A major benefit is that A24 is distributing the film; they’re known for giving filmmakers creative freedom. Parsons is also A24’s youngest director to date, a notable achievement.

Even though director Kane Parsons is relatively new to filmmaking, his project Backrooms is generating significant buzz, attracting major talent from across Hollywood. The film boasts a powerhouse team of producers, including renowned horror directors James Wan and Osgood Perkins, and Shawn Levy, known for films that have earned over $3 billion globally. Leading the cast are acclaimed actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, both Academy Award nominees, alongside Avan Jogia, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell.

People Actually Got Lost In The Backrooms During Production

It’s fascinating to see how a story originally shared online – a “creepypasta” – could become a full-length movie. To make the movie feel authentic, the filmmakers built an enormous set, covering over 30,000 square feet, to recreate the world of the Backrooms. As the set designer built the environments digitally, actual construction happened simultaneously around him. This massive scale makes the movie’s scenes feel incredibly expansive and heightens the sense of dread. The sheer emptiness and size of the maze is deeply unsettling and is sure to make viewers feel uneasy.

The sets for Backrooms were incredibly expansive, so much so that crew members actually got lost while filming. Given the vastness and repetitive design of the rooms, it’s not surprising that people had trouble finding their way around. This even enhanced the movie’s realism, as it mirrored the disorientation experienced by the characters.

One reason people are so captivated by this film is Parsons’ incredible attention to detail. For example, the team tested around 50 different shades of yellow wallpaper to find the perfect one. While it might seem excessive to some, this dedication to even the smallest elements is what could elevate Backrooms to the status of a true horror classic.

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2026-05-30 19:30