Backrooms Director Praises Valve’s “Integrity” For Not Making Sequels Just For Money
Kane Parsons, the 20-year-old director of one of 2026's most successful movies, Backrooms, is also a big fan of game developer Valve and how the company approaches its projects. With the film's massive success, fans are eager to see what Parsons will do next. In a recent interview, he teased that "stuff may already be moving a little bit."
Speaking on The Town podcast, Parsons highlighted Valve as the closest comparison to his creative North Star.
"I think the integrity they have expressed with the philosophy of, 'Don't make it unless there is a meaningful reason motivating it behind the scenes.' Valve, they take it to such an extreme, where it's obviously motivated by the hardware and the technology aspect," he said.
The host, Matt Belloni, noted that Parsons' comments echoed what Spider-Man actor Tom Holland said about making Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Holland had challenged Sony about the movie's purpose beyond its commercial appeal.
Parsons explained that this mindset should be the baseline for artists. He admires how Valve operates with a focus on meaningful creation over profit.
Valve, for its part, owns several popular franchises that have not seen numerous sequels, including Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Half-Life. When they do make sequels, they often surprise fans. For example, Half-Life: Alyx was an unexpected VR entry that became a major success. However, fans are still waiting for Half-Life 3, and it may never arrive.
Valve's ability to pursue such projects is partly due to its massive success. Founder Gabe Newell is a billionaire and owns a fleet of megayachts. The company has also faced controversy, including a lawsuit over monopoly concerns.
In the same interview, Parsons discussed his future projects. He expressed reluctance to work on established IPs, though he mentioned there are "one or two" exceptions. These would be franchises from the early 2000s that have had a strong, personal impact on him. He declined to name them outright, joking that naming them could help Hollywood producers.
Parsons emphasized that he is more interested in telling his own original stories.
"Needing to step into someone else's view of life tends to damage the initial point for me," he said. "So the only ones that I would look at are ones that have shaped my own experience of life so much that I feel like I have something to do with that conversation in the first place."
When asked specifically if he would consider making a Star Wars or Star Trek movie, or adapting any "big" franchises, he said it doesn't interest him generally.
Parsons also teased that he might explore making a video game in the future. "I'd love to look at games in the future," he said.
Anyone who has seen Backrooms may have noticed that the film's creaking door sound was borrowed from Valve. Parsons has also said that Valve's Portal series has been his single biggest creative influence.
Backrooms released on May 29 and has so far earned an astonishing $135 million globally against a $10 million budget. It is A24's most successful movie of all time in the US and its first ever to pass $100 million domestically.
The movie is based on Parsons' web series, which itself is based on a 4chan creepypasta thread. It stars Oscar-nominated actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve as they explore liminal spaces at a furniture store.
