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Kane Parsons, Curry Barker and the Multi-Million Dollar Battle for Gen Z Eyeballs
Hollywood studios are competing fiercely to sign young, internet-native horror filmmakers after two low-budget films aimed at Gen Z audiences, Obsession and Backrooms, became summer box office hits. The most prized target is 21-year-old Kane Parsons, director of A24's Backrooms, whose film began as YouTube shorts and has become the studio's highest-grossing release ever, prompting rival executives to pursue him directly for future projects.
Warner Bros. co-chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy reportedly visited Parsons at his family home in the Bay Area, while HBO's Casey Bloys and Francesca Orsi held a Zoom call with him about a combined film and TV deal; Universal's Donna Langley has also met with him, having already secured Obsession director Curry Barker for his next film. A24, keen not to lose Parsons, is offering him a Backrooms sequel plus an original project, and it emerged the studio had not locked in a first-look deal with him before Backrooms' release, unlike its usual practice with rising talents such as Ari Aster and Celine Song. Backrooms cost around $10 million to make and has grossed $374 million globally; the wider trend of studios chasing online creators dates back to A24's 2023 deal for Talk to Me directors Danny and Michael Philippou.
In short
- Studios are racing to sign young, internet-famous horror directors
- Backrooms director Kane Parsons, 21, is being courted by Warners, HBO, Universal
- His $10m film made $374m, becoming A24's biggest hit ever
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
These young filmmakers have demonstrated genuine commercial success and possess native expertise in engaging Gen Z audiences—Backrooms' earning of $374 million on a $10 million budget provides compelling evidence of their market value. Studios' pursuit of this talent represents astute business adaptation; these creators already command dedicated audiences and possess intuitive understanding of digital platforms, making them valuable investments for an industry facing shifting consumer behaviour.
The case against
Building strategy around a single commercial success carries substantial risk, particularly when dealing with inexperienced creators lacking industry representation or negotiating experience to protect their interests. Beyond exploitation concerns, the studios' aggressive pursuit of 'authentic' youth voices reflects corporate anxiety rather than genuine artistic commitment, and the concentrated investment in internet-creator pipelines risks marginalising other emerging talents and storytelling approaches that fall outside this particular trend.
Explained simply
Young filmmakers who build audiences on the internet are becoming valuable commodities in Hollywood. After two low-budget horror films aimed at Gen Z—Backrooms and Obsession—proved enormously profitable this summer, major studios are competing intensely to sign similar talent to future deals.
The most coveted filmmaker is 21-year-old Kane Parsons, who directed Backrooms for the studio A24. His film originated as YouTube shorts before being developed into a feature costing roughly $10 million, which went on to earn $374 million globally and became A24's highest-grossing release ever.
This competition reflects how Hollywood's strategy for reaching younger viewers is shifting towards identifying talent already popular online. Curry Barker, director of the other recent success Obsession, is similarly in demand, exemplifying a broader industry trend of studios pursuing creators who have already proven their appeal to Gen Z audiences.
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