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If 2026 has taught us anything, it's that YouTubers-turned-filmmakers might just be the future of horror. Already this year, a trio of the most celebrated horror movies have come from former online creators, starting with Markiplier's (aka Mark Fischbach) Iron Lung. But Iron Lung's undeniable success was nothing compared to that of Focus Features' Obsession, directed by Curry Barker. At the time of writing, the Academy Awards prospect has turned a sub-$1 million budget into over $425 million worldwide, breaking numerous records in the process.
The third of these success stories is A24's Backrooms, which not only hails from a YouTuber but from a YouTube series, which itself was based on a viral internet Creepypasta. The skin-crawling movie is the product of Kane Parsons, a 20-year-old filmmaker who has now become the youngest director ever to claim the #1 spot on the North American box office charts. In the least surprising news of the summer, this success — which turned a $10 million budget into $367 million — has inspired production companies to chase the next viral box office smash from a YouTube horror series.
Recently, a five-way studio bidding war for the hugely popular Siren Head creature eventually landed in Warner Bros. and Zach Cregger's (Weapons) lap. It has now been confirmed via Deadline that another Trevor Henderson creation, known as Cartoon Cat, has been picked up by Sony's TriStar Pictures. In the report, the creature was described as an "ancient hollow rot that uses the collective human awareness and memories of old cartoons as a passageway to manifest into our reality — and wreak violent havoc." Henderson previously worked with Sony as a concept artist on Screen Gems’Tarot, with the hunt for a Cartoon Catdirector now on.
Will 'Backrooms' Get a Sequel?
Given the movie's enormous success, a Backrooms sequel would seem initially likely. However, A24 isn't known for turning films, especially horror projects, into franchises, and a recent affiliation with AI would certainly deter Parsons, who famously spoke out boldly against its use in filmmaking. However, perhaps the future of Backrooms is in a small-screen return, with Parsons calling a TV continuation his "dream scenario" in a previous interview.
Cartoon Cat is getting a movie adaptation. Stay tuned to Collider for more box office updates.
