Backrooms director Kane Parsons has responded after content related to the original creepypasta, rather than his blockbuster movie, has reportedly been hit by copyright strikes.
Kane Parsons isn’t happy after reports A24 has been issuing copyright strikes to Backrooms related content.
The 21-year-old filmmaker has become an overnight Hollywood sensation after the release of his blockbuster horror hit, which is inspired by the liminal spaces Backrooms creepypasta meme.
A user on Reddit has claimed they have requested that a related design be taken down from Redbubble, which is a print on demand online store for user-created artwork.
User GnarleyNet wrote: “It is a recreation of the pattern from the well-known 2019 image who started the whole backrooms lore.
“I find it disappointing to see a company attempt to claim such a broad connection to a concept that has been developed, shared, and loved by an online community for years.
“I would have hoped that A24 would celebrate that creative history rather than take action against independent artists who were, just like them, inspired by it.”
The user added that it was Redbubble who told them A24 Films LLC had request the artwork be removed.
Parsons replied to the thread, promising: “I’m looking into this. Should not be happening.”
There are others claiming they have been hit with similar claims, including a developer from Davilkus Games.
The studio noted that its game – which was originally called Exit the Backrooms: Level 94 – was forced to be renamed Liminal Complex: Level 94 due to Google’s “impersonation policy”, with “3 other small indies devs” reportedly facing the same issue on the Google Play store.
The original Backrooms concept came from an image shared to 4chan in 2019, which featured a picture taken in 2002 by an independent photographer.
The concept was expanded by writers online, who created the idea of themed “levels” and “entities” roaming the spaces.
There have been plenty of adaptations in the video game and YouTube world, while Parsons launched the Backrooms web series in 2022, which took the concept mainstream and resulted in his feature film for A24.
The movie stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as a furniture store boss who finds an endless world of liminal spaces behind a wall in the store’s basement.
The cast also includes Renate Reinsve as his therapist Dr. Mary Kline, as well as the likes of Mark Duplass (Phil), Finn Bennett (Bobby Franklin) and Lukita Maxwell (Kat Taylor).
The movie has been a huge success, pulling in over $368 million at the global box office from a budget of $10m.
The 20-year-old director has confirmed there will be more to come in the future, although he’s not given firm details for his plans.
He told Rolling Stone magazine: “I think this is a world-building exercise on top of what I’ve already done.
“I’m well into it, and plan on certainly continuing it. Backrooms is not done!”
Kane Parsons responds after Backrooms controversy over ‘A24 copyright strikes’
