Backrooms Movie Delayed: WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes Strike Again!

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As a movie enthusiast who’s always on the lookout for intriguing concepts, I can’t help but be captivated by the growing buzz surrounding “Backrooms.” It all started with discussions about transitional spaces in online forums, but it quickly escalated into an internet sensation, spawning a web series and now, a highly anticipated movie. These transitional spaces – places that seem to defy the boundaries of time and space – have long been staples of science fiction and horror, yet the advent of social media and digital message boards has breathed new life into their mythology as people share their unique perspectives or encounters. “Backrooms” are often depicted as vast, empty rooms that can only be found when one steps out of their own reality.

Kane Parsons seized the notion and sprinted ahead with it, crafting a short film which he posted on YouTube in 2022. Following this initial short, Parsons has developed the storyline further and produced a series consisting of 20 more shorts. In February 2023, Deadline announced that A24, a production studio renowned for independent films like “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, would be producing a film based on Parson’s idea. Details about the “Backrooms” movie have been scarce since then, but rest assured, it’s in the pipeline.

The Backrooms Movie Was Delayed Because Of The 2023 WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes

Kane Parsons Had Planned A 2023 Shoot

Initially, Kane Parsons, who goes by Kane Pixels online, posted his short movies on YouTube. This caught the attention of several studios. Interestingly, when A24 acquired and won the screen rights to Parsons’ work titled Backrooms, he was only 17 years old and had already shared 16 shorts on the platform. During this time, Parsons was still in school. Since Parsons had been producing these films as his own creative project before A24 took notice, he was appointed as the director for The Backrooms movie, with Robert Patino responsible for writing the screenplay.

Based on Deadline’s initial article, Parsons intended to shoot the movie during his summer break from education. Unfortunately, his summer break clashed with the series of strikes that occurred in Hollywood in the year 2023.

From May 2nd to September 27th, 2023, the Writers Guild of America chose to go on a labor strike. During this period, the striking guild members were unable to write scripts for studios, make edits, or assist in resolving script issues on sets.

During the period from July 14 to November 9 of the same year, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists was engaged in a strike. Consequently, this labor action resulted in actors being unavailable for auditions or employment, even if scripts were already finalized. A limited number of films from Hollywood studios received exceptions to continue their work or market it during this period.

Due to the two sets of negotiations between creative unions and studios over new contracts lasting more than two months, it’s logical that the release date of the film was postponed during this period. However, despite the delay, the production company A24 still plans to move forward with the movie.

What We Know About The Backrooms Movie

Few Details About The Backrooms Movie Have Been Released

Dan Cohen, the producer, indicated in September 2024 to Hollywood Handle (via X) that the Backrooms movie project was still under development and moving forward with Parsons. During an interview at the premiere of Never Let Go, he expressed optimism saying, “We’re looking forward to making it as soon as possible,” without revealing additional details.

Though the movie’s premiere has been postponed, Parsons has consistently uploaded short videos on his YouTube channel at intervals, hinting at the visual style and concepts that might be featured in the film. However, since there isn’t much information available about the movie, these shorts could simply be suggestive; we don’t have any casting decisions, release dates, or other details yet.

It’s confirmed that Parsons will continue to direct the Backrooms movie, and it’s still expected to be based on his original idea. The story for this film was initially introduced in one of Parsons’ short works, where a filmmaker character accidentally ventures into another dimension. This strange realm, characterized by a lack of clear temporal or spatial orientation, is reminiscent of an endless office building labyrinth.

Due to the massive online viewership exceeding 66 million for the initial Backrooms video, it’s clear that A24 is bound to encounter a significant surge of curiosity regarding their upcoming film.

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2025-04-29 02:08