Kane Parsons Sparks Multi-Million Dollar Studio Bidding Wars After Gen Z Viral Shorts Success

Kane Parsons, the 21-year-old director behind the viral horror hit Backrooms, is at the center of a multi-million dollar bidding war among Hollywood’s top studios, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter.

Warner Bros., Universal, and A24 are all aggressively courting the filmmaker for his future projects. Warner Bros. executives Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy recently flew to meet Parsons at his home in the Bay Area, and he later had a Zoom call with HBO executives Casey Bloys and Francesca Orsi.

What studios are involved in the bidding war?

Universal chief Donna Langley has also met with Parsons. A24, the studio that released Backrooms, is reportedly trying to keep him in-house.

Why are studios so interested in these filmmakers?

This intense courtship follows the massive financial success of films born from viral, online-native IP. Backrooms, which began as a series of YouTube shorts, cost $10 million to make and has grossed $374 million globally, making it A24’s top-grossing film ever. A similar pattern played out with Obsession director Curry Barker, who landed an eight-figure deal with Universal after his film grossed $400 million.

The trend represents a major shift in Hollywood’s acquisition strategy. Studios are now willing to spend millions to lock down young, internet-fluent creators early in their careers, betting that securing a filmmaker like Parsons could lead to hundreds of millions in profits over a long-term partnership.