Kane Parsons visits Valve: portal movie rumors flare up again
In brief
- Backrooms director Kane Parsons visited Valve’s office and shared images on Instagram, reigniting rumors of a possible Portal film.
- According to IGN, an Instagram story spotted on September 16 showed a room with windows at sunset; Parsons had also visited Valve in June.
- Parsons has previously called a Portal adaptation a dream project, while J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot were linked to the idea back in 2013.
What happened
IGN reports that Kane Parsons visited Valve’s office and shared photos and videos from the trip on his personal Instagram. Fans noticed an Instagram story on September 16 showing a room full of windows at sunset, which immediately fueled new speculation about a possible Portal movie.
It has not been confirmed that the visit had anything to do with a concrete film deal. IGN does note, however, that Parsons had already been to Valve in June and shared images from that visit as well. In the same reporting, Parsons is quoted as saying a Portal adaptation would be a dream project, and that Portal has been a major inspiration for his own work.
The rumors carry extra weight because Portal has been tied to film plans before. In 2013, J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot were linked to a film project based on Portal and Half-Life, but according to the reporting cited here, little has moved forward since then. In that same context, Parsons is described as the director of Backrooms, a film based on a 4Chan creepypasta that grew into a broader fan universe of games, art, and YouTube videos.
Timeline
2013: J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot are reportedly linked to film plans for Portal and Half-Life.
June: Kane Parsons visits Valve and shares images from the trip on Instagram.
May: Parsons says in a New York Times interview, according to IGN, that a Portal film is a dream project for him.
September 16: Fans spot an Instagram story showing a room with windows at sunset inside Valve’s headquarters.
Now: Parsons’ Valve visits spark fresh speculation about a possible Portal adaptation.
Background
Parsons is described in the article as 20 years old. His debut film Backrooms reportedly grossed around $393 million worldwide on a $10 million budget, according to IGN. The article also says Hideo Kojima praised the film, though no separate quote is provided.
The Portal franchise has had a long history of film talk. The 2013 announcement mentioned above tied Valve to J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot for film versions of Half-Life and Portal, but current sources do not confirm any active production or official new step toward a Portal movie.
Sources
Tweet van @gabefollowerTweet van @gabefollowerEven acclaimed video game director Hideo Kojima lauded the movie , which is based on a 4Chan creepypasta greentext that has sprawled into a massive fan-made universe with oodles of spinoff indie horror games, artwork, and YouTube videos like the ones that made Parson the obvious pick to helm A24’s film adaptation.
Tweet van @ItsnickmymanTweet van @ItsnickmymanThere could be a snag in bringing Portal to the silver screen, though, as JJ Abrams was originally attached to lead a film adaptation of the game through his production company, Bad Robot. This was first announced in 2013 , alongside news that he would also be making a Half-Life movie, though things have been stagnant ever since.
Tweet van @TransgirlSourceTweet van @TransgirlSource“I mean, how long [has] that Portal and Half-Life movie been in production by J.J Abrams, like what… 2013? “If Kane is really gung-ho about making a Portal film, then I don’t see Valve wanting to stop him,” one fan wrote on X.