“Horror Is Now Cool” as the Hunt for the Next ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms’ Is on: Rome’s MIA

Horror industry leaders came to Rome to praise Curry Barker and Kane Parsons — the YouTubers-turned-directors behind the breakout Obsession and Backrooms horror movies.

“The stigma of horror of the past, that it was niche, is past. Horror is now cool, and that’s great,” Andrea Romeo, founder and CEO of Wonder Pictures, which released Backrooms in Italy, told a panel on the genre at the MIA Market in Rome. Peter Kuplowsky, programmer of the Toronto Film Festival’s thrills and spills Midnight Madness showcase, said the Hollywood box office rebound has helped underpin the resurgence in horror films.

“The U.S. theatricals have bounded back, and there’s been an excitement to watch a movie with a movie again,” he insisted. So the hunt for Gen Z-tinged horror talent will continue.

Including in Italy. Romeo after Backrooms wants more box office success: “We started to look for the next Kane Parsons and Oz Perkins. But we also want to find the Italian Kane Parsons. There’s some screenwriters and directors who want to be the next Kane Parsons. But they want to work in English. So we want to understand how to build an Italian background.”

At the same time, the Italian Kane Parsons may be a woman. “A young female director will be my dream,” Romeo added. The horror leaders argued non-traditional horror directors like Parsons and Barker had come out of YouTube to offer fresh, new voices and innovation to the fright-night medium for Gen Z movie-goers.

Rachael Labes, manager, acquisitions & productions for IFC’s Shudder, said horror films embracing comedy had also opened up new audiences. “There were 10 years where we were getting harsh movies. Now I can go to see a horror film that scares me, but also offers a fun time,” Labes argued. At the multiplex, Barker’s Obsession grossed over $400 million globally on a $750,000 budget and became Focus Features’ highest-grossing release ever.

Meanwhile, Parsons’ Backrooms crossed $350 million in box office globally and is A24’s highest-grossing film in a number of countries. Roberto De Feo, an Italian director and screenwriter, says the breakout success of Obsession and Backrooms has allowed Paolo Strippoli’s campy, fun Italian horror thriller The Spiral, which bowed in Venice and is now potentially up for an Oscar.

“It’s important to talk about the fact that the audience were used for 30 years to watch movies form the U.S., which was far from the Italian aesthetic. Now they want to see movies that are connected with Italy,” De Feo said.

Jonny Bunning, digital marketing manager for UK-based Signature Entertainment, said horror films from new international filmmakers and exotic countries are having success connecting with audiences. “The genre community is interested to hear from a different community to see the different countries’ interpretation of horror and seeing visuals that you’re not familiar with, and that cuts through and piques that interest,” he told the panel.