Key facts
- Hollywood is actively seeking filmmakers from platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
- Films like "Backrooms" and "Obsession," created by digital creators, have achieved substantial box office success.
- Kane Parsons' "Backrooms" has grossed $250 million worldwide, with a sequel in development.
- Curry Barker's "Obsession" is expected to surpass $300 million globally and has upcoming projects with Blumhouse and A24.
- Markiplier's directorial debut, "Iron Lung," grossed over $50 million.
- Jordan Firstman's "Club Kid" was acquired by A24 for $17 million.
- Sam Evenson's feature adaptation of "Mora" is inspired by AI-generated imagery.
Hollywood is increasingly turning to digital platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to discover new filmmaking talent, recognizing the established audience and viral appeal these creators possess. This trend is exemplified by the success of films such as "Backrooms" and "Obsession," both directed by YouTubers who have translated their online followings into significant box office revenue.
Kane Parsons, known online as "Kane Pixels," directed the A24 horror hit "Backrooms," which has grossed $250 million worldwide and is set for a sequel. Parsons began publishing videos at age 9, and his feature film debut was based on the "Backrooms" creepypasta meme.
Curry Barker, a 26-year-old filmmaker, transitioned from YouTube to directing "Obsession" for Tea Shop Productions after they saw his horror short "The Chair." "Obsession" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by Focus Features for $15 million, with worldwide ticket sales expected to surpass $300 million. Barker has already completed his next film for Blumhouse and is attached to a reboot of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" for A24.
Markiplier, real name Mark Fischbach, a popular YouTuber with over 38 million subscribers, made his directorial debut with the sci-fi horror film "Iron Lung." Based on a video game, the film was made for less than $5 million and self-distributed, grossing over $50 million.
Jordan Firstman, 34, gained initial traction with skits on Instagram Live during the pandemic. After working in television, he made his directorial debut with "Club Kid" at the Cannes Film Festival, which A24 acquired for $17 million.
Dylan Clark, who has posted horror shorts on YouTube for eight years, is adapting his popular short "Portrait of God" into a feature film produced by Jordan Peele and Sam Raimi. Clark is also set to direct a new "The Blair Witch Project" for Lionsgate and Blumhouse.
Sam Evenson will direct a feature adaptation of his viral 2014 short "Mora" for Neon. The short, which has garnered nearly 5 million views on his YouTube channel, "Grimoire Horror," is about a struggling artist searching for a woman depicted in AI-generated images. Evenson has visual effects credits on films like "Dune: Part Two."