Backrooms: From 4Chan Meme to Hollywood Horror Hit

The internet phenomenon 'Backrooms,' initially a 2019 meme on 4chan, has now been adapted into a feature film, marking a significant shift in Hollywood's approach to content creation. The film's concept, featuring endless abandoned corridors and disquieting liminal spaces, originated from anonymous users on 4chan and a viral YouTube series by Kane Parsons.

Kane Parsons, now 20 years old, makes his directorial debut with this adaptation, bringing his distinct vision from the popular YouTube series to the big screen. He utilized a substantial Hollywood budget and a 30,000 sq ft set to enhance the film's physicality, aiming to differentiate it from its online origins.

The film, written by Will Soodik, uses the unsettling 'Backrooms' setting to explore mental health themes. It stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as a salesman grappling with personal trauma, with the liminal space preying on his unresolved issues. The concept of liminal spaces resonates deeply online, with a large Reddit forum dedicated to it.

'Backrooms' popularity highlights a broader trend of internet-native intellectual property gaining traction with younger audiences, particularly Gen Z. This trend, amplified by platforms like TikTok, may stem from a blend of nostalgia for pre-internet eras and the isolating effects of recent global events. Hollywood studios are increasingly looking to these internet-born concepts and creators for fresh content and established audiences.