YouTube and other platforms have apparently become Hollywood’s biggest source of horror inspiration. Two more online phenomena are now set to be adapted into films, following in the footsteps of *Backrooms*.
The Backrooms have now becomenot only an internet phenomenon, but also a very successful movie. Following the numerous comic book and video game adaptations of the past decades, it might now be the turn of internet horror to spawn a multitude of adaptations: To build on the success of *Backrooms*, it appears that *Siren Head* and *The Mandela Catalogue* are now also in the Hollywood pipeline.
As Variety reports, Warner Bros. has secured the rights to *Siren Head*. This is an urban legend penned by artist Trevor Henderson, featuring a giant, eerie creature that resembles a kind of power pole with speakers for a head.
From YouTube, TikTok, and Beyond to the Big Screen
What began as a single illustration from 2018 has continued to evolve through memes, YouTube, TikTok, andeven indie games.
Brian Duffield will serve as director, and Zach Cregger as co-writer and producer. Duffield is known for horror films and thrillers such as *No One Will Save You* and *Whalefall* (coming in fall 2026), in which a diver is swallowed by a whale.
Zach Cregger, on the other hand, made a name for himself with the surprise horror hitWeapons, which garnered widespread praise from audiences and critics alike. He was also responsible for the equally well-received film Barbarians and is working on the newResident Evil film, which is also set to be released this fall.
An article from Deadlinealso reveals that a film adaptation of *The Mandela Catalogue*—another internet phenomenon of this kind—is in the works. After a fierce bidding war for the film rights, they have now been secured by Amazon MGM Studios, United Artists, and Steven Spielberg through his production company, Amblin Entertainment.
So they’re really pulling out all the stops. However, the original creator of the idea, Alex Kister, is also said to be involved. The concept began in 2021, much like *The Backrooms*, as a YouTube series in the analog horror style, inspired by VHS tapes and found footage. The video series is set in the fictional Mandela County, where shape-shifters gradually psychologically torture and ultimately replace humans, raising many questions about identity and truth.
These internet franchises all stand out thanks toa strong sense of mystery, as well as deep lore and a distinct visual identityrather than relying solely on cheap jump scares. This is also evident in this YouTube short film about Siren Head:
A New Horror Trend in Hollywood?
This seems to signal the emergence of a growing trend in Hollywood, one that’s likely aimed primarily at the young generation, which is heavily influenced by the internet. Instead of developing new horror IPs from scratch and risking potential failure, the industry can alreadydraw on existing lore and a fanbase.
In the case of *Backrooms*, young director Kane Parsons had already created an entire universe around the concept—which had long since generated millions of views on YouTube—even before the film adaptation.
Of course, the quality still has to be there—after all, video game adaptations have proven countless times that a big brand can’t save or excuse everything. Nevertheless, *Backrooms* in particular shows that films based on such a strong and popular horror source material can also be a hit on the big screen if the right people adapt them with enough respect for the original version.
You can find Vali’s take on the film and more info on current movie and horror trends in the link box a little further up.
