X-Men legend Famke Janssen wants Backrooms' Kane Parsons to direct superhero movie
Backrooms director Kane Parsons should "absolutely" get a chance to direct an X-Men film, according to Famke Janssen.
Famke Janssen "absolutely" thinks Kane Parsons should direct an X-Men movie.
The 61-year-old actress, who played Jean Grey and her alter ego Phoenix in the X-Men film series from 2000 to 2014, thinks the 20-year-old Backrooms director should get a shot at potential future instalment in the franchise after he and Obsession filmmaker Curry Barker, 26, have "opened a door" for others in the industry.
Asked by Vanity Fair's John Ross if Parsons deserves a chance at an X-Man film, she said: "Absolutely.
"[Their success] just opened a door, not just for them, but for other people to say, ‘We don’t have to go with this old-fashioned system where we make a movie for $300 million.’”
Jansse, who was speaking during a masterclass at Malta's Mediterrane Film Festival in Valletta, praised the YouTuber turned blockbuster directors for doing things the right way.
She said: "It's a paradigm shifting. These are two young guys who … built their own audiences on YouTube.
"They had a vision and didn’t go to a studio with their cup asking for money.
"They just took their own careers in their hands and for very little money created movies that are incredibly creative, entertaining and found huge audiences.
"I’m so thrilled to see that. And they’re analogue, they’re not AI driven or CGI heavy films.”
She noted that Backrooms, which was made for $10 million, had a real-life maze of practical sets.
Janssen joked: "Backrooms is like Stanley Kubrick on crack."
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).
Backrooms was inspired by the online creepypasta of the same name, which sparked Parsons' The Backrooms web series on YouTube.
The surprise horror hit has already made more then $330 million worldwide, and an AMC listing has confirmed a July 4 weekend re-release titled Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition.
The cinema chain has described the screening as including a "theatrically exclusive post-credit" featuring additional footage from Parsons.
In the UK, the Cineworld listing teases: "New version of the film featuring 15 minutes of bonus footage after the end credits.
"Get more insight into one of the most scariest and enjoyable films of 2026."
The new version will run for 2 hours and 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, Barker's Obsession also stormed the box office, grossing $334m over its first 39 days after being made for just $750,000.
