‘Backrooms’ trailer: A24 drops first look at Kane Parsons’ viral YouTube horror

A24 has dropped the first teaser trailer for Backrooms, offering an unsettling glimpse into the feature-length expansion of Kane Parsons’ viral horror universe. The film is set for theatrical release on May 29 and marks Parsons’ debut as a feature director.

The story centers on two people who discover a mysterious door hidden in the basement of a furniture showroom, leading to an expansive, shifting interior space. In the trailer’s voiceover, Chiwetel Ejiofor describes the discovery with mounting unease. “I found something,” he says. “I found a place. It’s massive in there and just goes on and on and on.”

Ejiofor leads a cast that also includes Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, and Avan Jogia. The film is directed by Parsons from a script by Will Soodik.

A24 co-financed the project alongside The North Road Company’s Chernin Entertainment, with both serving as co-studios. The production team includes 21 Laps Entertainment and Atomic Monster, with producers Kori Adelson, Dan Cohen, Chris Ferguson, Dan Levine, Shawn Levy, and James Wan among those attached.

Backrooms is inspired by Parsons’ found-footage YouTube series, which explores liminal spaces and has amassed more than 190 million views online. Parsons, who is 20, becomes the youngest filmmaker to direct a feature for A24.

The film arrives amid growing attention on projects originating from online creators. Earlier this year, Iron Lung, directed by YouTuber Markiplier, surpassed $43 million at the global box office following a self-distributed theatrical release. Speaking recently, Markiplier noted that skepticism toward YouTube creators remains within the industry, even as audience interest continues to grow.