Backrooms director Kane Parsons has finally opened up about the “main ending” he has envisioned for his liminal-space horror franchise all along, revealing that his ultimate vision for the story would be best realized as a limited series rather than another theatrical film. Speaking to Deadline, Parsons confirmed that a definitive narrative arc has existed for the phenomenon since its early days, and he expressed “absurdly excited” anticipation about the prospect of finally following through on it.
Parsons, who is not the original creator of the viral 4chan greentext post that sparked the Backrooms craze, has nonetheless emerged as the concept’s primary mouthpiece. He caught the attention of studio A24 thanks to his wildly popular YouTube series exploring the eerie, yellow-walled liminal spaces, and he went on to direct the 2022 feature film that brought the internet-born horror to a mainstream audience.
A Long-Planned Ending, Waiting for the Right Package
Ever since he first shared his videos — which were almost entirely built in the 3D software Blender — Parsons said he has harbored a clear idea of how he wants the Backrooms saga to conclude, though he doubts it will land in movie theaters. The challenge, he admitted, has been finding the correct format to deliver that ending to audiences.
“There’s always been a plan. It’s just been challenging to find the proper way to package that. I never stop making things. There’s a few things that I would love to talk about when I can soon. I’ve said since the very beginning that the dream scenario would be a limited series for Backrooms to get to the main ending. I can’t say anything, but there’s been a very set arc to the whole thing from the beginning, and I just feel absurdly excited at the idea of actually being able to follow through on all of it.”
Kane Parsons, Backrooms director
The statement underscores a growing tension within the franchise: while the film proved commercially successful, Parsons himself seems drawn to the serialized storytelling format that his original YouTube work popularized, where the dread of the Backrooms unfolded gradually across episodes rather than within a single two-hour runtime.
Triggering a Creepypasta Adaptation Wave
The success of Parsons’ Backrooms kicked off a broader, reactionary trend across the filmmaking landscape. Almost instantly, studios began greenlighting similar creepypasta projects, with franchises such as Siren Head, The Mandela Catalogue, and even the SCP Foundation securing big-budget adaptations with major directors and producers attached.
Parsons acknowledged his position at the vanguard of this movement with characteristic perspective, noting that the surge in adaptations feels almost inevitable given the cultural forces behind it.
“You’re going to see more of this. It’s kind of inevitable, given the pressure cooker of people our age who have grown up with the internet. It’s cool to be at the front of that, but that’s just the constant tide of these things.”
Kane Parsons, Backrooms director
From HBO Max to Valve’s Offices
Backrooms recently made its way to HBO Max, even earning its own special opening cinematic with HBO’s logo decked out in the Backrooms’ iconic yellow wallpaper. Naturally, its resurgence on such a major streaming platform has viewers wondering what comes next for the IP, and for Parsons as a filmmaker.
Parsons may well have answers to both questions. He recently shared his visit to Valve’s offices on social media, prompting an end to speculation as to whether he is in talks to adapt one of the developer’s popular games into another feature film — especially given his well-documented love for Portal. The visit has only stoked fan enthusiasm, with many hoping the liminal-space maestro might turn his attention to Valve’s puzzle-platforming universe.
For now, Parsons essentially has carte blanche to do as he pleases, and the wealth of possibilities is making fans even more excited for what comes next following his latest remarks about Backrooms.
Looking Ahead
While fans await official confirmation of any limited-series announcement, liminal-space enthusiasts can still dive deeper into Parsons’ world. He has made available an additional 15 minutes of footage from his debut movie on YouTube for free, a bonus reel that was initially added to theatrical Backrooms screenings under the fittingly ominous title ‘Everything Must Go.’
Whether Parsons ultimately realizes his dream scenario through a serialized Backrooms ending, ventures into Valve’s gaming universe, or pursues yet another project, one thing is clear: the director who turned a simple internet creepypasta into a cultural phenomenon continues to shape the landscape of digital horror. As the Backrooms themselves might warn, though, the journey through its endless yellow halls is far from over.
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