As we approach the release of A24’s highly anticipated Backrooms film, anticipation is reaching a fever pitch among horror enthusiasts and gaming communities alike. Director Kane Parsons is taking on the monumental task of adapting one of the internet's most beloved creepypastas into a cinematic experience. Given the wealth of high-quality digital media already existing within this universe, the stakes for a live-action adaptation are incredibly high.

Chiwetel Ejiofor Surprised by Massive Physical Set

The scale of the production has proven to be even more ambitious than many expected. Even seasoned performers have been caught off guard by the sheer commitment to physical production. Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, recognized for his acclaimed work in The Martian, 12 Years a Slave, and Love Actually, recently shared his bewilderment regarding the film's environment.

In an interview with DiscussingFilm, Ejiofor admitted he didn't initially realize the extent of the production design. "I thought the set was amazing and I was very late to understanding that this was the first physical set," Ejiofor explained. "I thought, when I watched all the shorts, I thought that somewhere, it had been built before. I didn't really understand he had created all of it."

A Visceral and Tactile Experience

It is understandable why an actor would assume the environments were pre-existing. The various Backrooms shorts and indie games available online are famous for their uncanny realism, often making these "liminal spaces" feel like actual locations that could be stumbled upon in real life.

However, Parsons has opted for a massive practical approach rather than relying solely on CGI:

  • The production features a sprawling 30,000 square foot set.
  • The scale is so immense that crew members have reportedly gotten lost within the corridors.
  • The physical environment provides a "visceral and tactile" experience for the cast.

Bringing the Creepypasta to Life

While the internet lore often feels grounded in reality—partially because its inspirations are sometimes linked to real-world locations—the scale of this film is unprecedented. The sheer size of the construction has created an atmosphere of genuine disorientation on set.

Ejiofor noted that the energy from the director helped fuel his own excitement despite the complexity of the environment. "Once I got hip to that, I was really excited," Ejiofor added. "Also because [Kane Parsons] was so excited. Kane was buzzing being in the space... it was vast and trying to find your way through it was complicated, but to have a visceral tactile set like that was great."

As the film nears its debut, all eyes will be on whether this massive Backrooms set can successfully translate the unsettling dread of the digital shorts into a cinematic masterpiece.