01What happened

The story, straight

At least one Hollywood agency is reportedly scouring Reddit for adaptable stories following the success of the Backrooms movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Backrooms, a psychological horror directed by YouTuber Kane Parsons, became A24's highest-grossing film after starting as found-footage YouTube shorts inspired by Reddit creepypastas. An agency veteran told THR that assistants have found 'a bunch' of subreddits and short stories with film potential.

Hollywood agencies are digging through Reddit for movie pitches now, per THR. The Backrooms — Kane Parsons' A24 horror that started as YouTube creepypastas and became the studio's highest-grossing film — convinced at least one agency to mine the platform for the next hit. One agency veteran said assistants already found 'a bunch' of subreddits and short stories worth adapting.

02Spread timeline

Where it actually started

Jun 18, 2026Origin
Dexerto reports, citing The Hollywood Reporter, that agencies are mining Reddit for film ideas post-Backrooms.THR report drops: agencies are trawling Reddit for movie ideas.
source

03Source receipts

Every claim, linked

DexertoDexerto report citing THR on Hollywood agencies mining Reddit for film adaptations after Backrooms success
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04What's solid, what isn't

What's solid and what isn't

Confirmed
  • The Backrooms movie, directed by YouTuber Kane Parsons, became A24's highest-grossing film.
  • The Backrooms originated from Reddit creepypastas and YouTube found-footage shorts.
  • An agency veteran told The Hollywood Reporter that assistants found 'a bunch' of Reddit stories with adaptation potential.
Disputed
  • The specific subreddits or stories agencies are targeting.
  • How many agencies beyond the one quoted are actively sourcing from Reddit.

05Why it matters

The editorial take

This signals a potential shift in Hollywood's IP pipeline. Reddit-originated horror properties like The Backrooms and earlier r/nosleep adaptations (including the films that became two horror franchises) have proven commercially viable, pushing agencies to treat user-generated internet fiction as a formal sourcing strategy rather than a novelty.

Reddit just became an unofficial pitch meeting. The Backrooms went from creepy subreddit to A24's biggest film, and now agencies are treating the platform like a slush pile. If this catches on, every nosleep poster is basically an unpaid screenwriter.