Oscar Predictions: Production Design — Could Something as Innovative and Cool as ‘Backrooms’ Find Love?

Kane Parsons’ horror film “Backrooms” is presented as a possible surprise contender for the Oscar for Best Production Design. Its labyrinth of yellowed wallpaper, created by Danny Vermette, helped turn an internet creepypasta into A24’s biggest hit, and the article asks whether voters might recognise imaginative design even without a lavish budget.

The film faces competition from “The Odyssey”, “Project Hail Mary”, “La Bola Negra” and “Dune: Part Three”. Horror films have previously broken through in the category, though often with settings such as Gothic mansions or haunted hotels. The Oscar nominations are due to be announced on 21 January 2027, with the ceremony scheduled for 14 March.