Kane Parsons Confirms Meetings With Valve But Won’t Adapt Their Gry If It Can’t Be Done Right

Kane Parsons, director of Backrooms, has confirmed he has met with Valve but says he has no intention of adapting any of their games unless it can be done properly.

Talking on the October 28 episode of The Kyle Buchanan Show, Parsons wore a Valve hoodie, which led Buchanan to ask about the director’s recent visits to the developer’s corporate offices. (After the release of Backrooms, Parsons said he wanted to make a Portal movie and later posted about trips to Valve on Instagram.) Parsons neither confirmed nor denied exactly what is happening between them, but confirmed that he has had conversations with the company—while saying he only wants to work with them if it is done right.

“They work in experiments, and I like that, because that tends to be how I work,” he said. “I don’t have a desire to sensationalize anything I may or may not be talking to them about over there, because it’s mainly: Is it possible to make something compelling in some way that we like? What do you guys want to do? What do I want to do? Is there anything on the table in any way, shape, or form?

Portal: Companion Collection Screenshots

“And if it’s not, I would defend a future where we don’t even go down that road, but it’s more like having an abstract creative conversation that could flow in like 30 different directions. If you know the way Valve works, I think they’re looking to experiment more internally than anything that’s going to be talked about. If something cool comes of it, I am sure somehow, people will know.”

As noted, Parsons has expressed interest in making a Portal movie and also recently confirmed that he is working on three “dream projects.” These projects appear to be linked to some kind of IP, but Parsons has also previously stated he has no real interest in a property like Star Wars, and his desire for adaptations lies more within a small handful of things from his childhood, such as Valve’s games.

Whether a Portal movie actually happens remains to be seen, but it’s good to hear that Parsons isn’t simply trying to jack the franchise from Valve. Although there hasn’t been a new mainline Portal game since 2011, interest in the series remains high among fans. Perhaps a film could inspire a new game… or maybe Parsons has ambitions beyond a movie and would like to do something with the game’s developers, instead. He has extensive experience with Blender, so he isn’t out of his element, after all.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.