‘Backrooms 2’ in Development With Kane Parsons Returning to Direct
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: A sequel to A24’s breakout horror film Backrooms is reportedly moving forward, with young filmmaker Kane Parsons returning to direct the next instalment of the viral internet-inspired franchise.
The project, currently referred to as Backrooms 2, is in development after Parsons signed on to direct, according to reporting cited by The Express Tribune. An official announcement is expected, but details surrounding the sequel’s plot and cast have not yet been disclosed.
The development follows the commercial success of the first Backrooms, which transformed an internet horror phenomenon into a major theatrical release.
Kane Parsons Reportedly Signs On for Backrooms 2
Reports of Parsons’ return emerged through horror publication Dread Central, which said sources had confirmed that the filmmaker had signed on to direct the sequel for A24.
The Express Tribune subsequently reported the development on September 8.
While that represents a significant step forward, A24’s publicly accessible Backrooms page currently focuses on the original 2026 film. It lists Parsons as director, Will Soodik as writer and Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve among its stars.
The sequel’s title, production schedule and theatrical release date have not yet been formally detailed in the reporting reviewed.
Backrooms Became a Major Horror Hit
The original film proved to be a major commercial success for A24.
Released in 2026, Backrooms emerged from Parsons’ online analog-horror work and eventually grew into one of the year’s biggest low-budget horror successes. Recent reporting puts its worldwide box-office total at around $393 million against a reported production budget of about $10 million.
Its performance demonstrated the commercial potential of horror concepts originating in internet culture rather than traditional film, television or publishing franchises.
The movie stars Ejiofor and Reinsve and centres on a disturbing parallel environment made up of seemingly endless liminal spaces. A24 describes the premise as beginning when a strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.
From Viral Internet Horror to Hollywood
The Backrooms phenomenon has unusual origins.
The broader concept emerged as an internet urban legend involving an apparently endless network of unsettling yellow rooms and corridors that can supposedly be entered by accidentally “noclipping” out of reality.
Parsons dramatically expanded the mythology when, at just 16, he released The Backrooms (Found Footage) on YouTube in 2022 and subsequently developed an interconnected series of analog-horror videos.
His interpretation helped introduce the concept to a much larger audience and eventually led to the A24 feature adaptation.
The transition also made Parsons an unusual example of a digital-native filmmaker moving directly from viral online filmmaking into a major theatrical production.
Parsons Had Already Teased More Backrooms
News of a sequel is not entirely unexpected.
Following the first film’s release, Parsons repeatedly indicated that he wanted to continue developing the universe.
In June, he said Backrooms had been envisioned as something capable of expanding beyond the confines of a single feature film and made clear that he was not finished exploring the concept.
Earlier reports also said a follow-up project was in early development after the original film’s strong theatrical debut, although at that stage there was no confirmed production schedule or cast.
The latest report that Parsons has signed on to direct therefore represents a more concrete development than the earlier discussions surrounding a possible sequel.
Will Chiwetel Ejiofor Return?
One major question concerns the cast.
The first film featured Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, but neither actor has been confirmed for Backrooms 2 in the latest reporting.
The sequel’s story also remains unknown, making it unclear whether it will continue directly from the first film or explore another section of Parsons’ wider mythology.
That flexibility is particularly relevant to Backrooms because its universe can accommodate multiple characters, locations and time periods without necessarily following a conventional linear sequel structure.
A24 Has Another Potential Horror Franchise
For A24, a successful Backrooms sequel could further establish the property as a major horror franchise.
The original film’s success is particularly notable because the project grew from internet-native horror rather than a long-established Hollywood intellectual property.
It could also encourage studios to look more closely at viral online stories, creepypastas, YouTube series and other digital-native concepts as sources for future films.
For now, however, the confirmed details remain limited: Backrooms 2 is reportedly in development and Kane Parsons is expected to return as director, while its cast, storyline, production dates and release date remain unannounced.
