A24 clarifies fan art removal for "The Backrooms" after Kane Parsons' intervention

The company distinguished between the rights to "The Backrooms" and the broader internet universe.

On July 15, Reddit user GnarlyNet reported that the Redbubble platform had removed his work inspired by the creepypasta "The Backrooms." According to the received notification, the claim was sent on behalf of A24 Films LLC – the studio that released Kane Parsons' horror film "The Backrooms Reality."

The artist created the drawing back in 2023 – three years before the film's release. It was based on the pattern of yellow wallpaper from a photograph, around which the mythology of "The Backrooms" began to form in 2019. No characters or other elements of the A24 adaptation were used in the work.

The author challenged the block and shared what happened on Reddit. He accused the film's rights holder of attempting to extend the protection of a specific adaptation to the community-created internet culture. The post quickly spread across social media and soon caught the attention of Kane Parsons. "I'm looking into this. This shouldn't be happening," the director wrote.

Soon, A24 withdrew the claim and restored the work on Redbubble. The company explained the incident as an automatic system error and separately outlined the boundaries of its rights.

A24's rights extend only to specific elements of the film "The Backrooms Reality," but not to the concept of "The Backrooms" itself. The internet universe includes many independent stories, games, videos, and illustrations, many of which appeared long before the adaptation. The company also acknowledged that Parsons' film is just one of many interpretations of this myth, so other authors are still free to create their own versions, provided they do not use protected elements of the film.