As Backrooms becomes a surprise box-office sensation, many fans have been revisiting the viral internet phenomenon that inspired it. However, that was a temptation Lukita Maxwell resisted as she took the role of Kat in the film.

Created by YouTube filmmaker Kane Parsons, the psychological horror movie has quickly taken over theaters. Apart from its strong box-office performance, Backrooms has continued to earn praise from critics for its unsettling atmosphere, visuals, and compelling characters, including Kat.

But bringing the character to life on screen was also a challenge for Maxwell, who recently opened up about the experience of preparing for the role.

Lukita Maxwell, who stars in Backrooms, revealed in a conversation with Discussing Film that she intentionally avoided watching the original web series. After seeing the first few episodes of Kane Parsons' viral series, she realized that she was becoming too immersed in the series. And to bring a fresh perspective to her character, she decided to stop watching the series.

“And then I realized I was starting to go down the rabbit hole, and I wanted my character to have a fresh perspective. I didn’t want to know what the mold meant, and I didn’t wanna know about the number eight, I wanted to keep those out of my head for while we shot," she said.

However, Maxwell did listen to Kane Parsons' music to understand his creative vision and world-building beyond Backrooms. She eventually watched the entire series after filming was completed. Interestingly, she is not the first actor to take this approach. Many actors have chosen to avoid the source material to bring a fresh perspective to their characters, including Tim Roth, who avoided watching the Peaky Blinders series before starring in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.

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And it is safe to say her approach paid off, as the film continues to rake in millions at the box office while setting new records.

On its opening day, Kane Parsons’ Backrooms has earned an impressive $38 million at the box office, setting a new record for A24. The film has since grossed $81 million domestically and $118 million worldwide, making it the studio’s biggest opening weekend. And with the growing interest in the movie, it is expected to continue its successful run in the coming weeks. 

The film follows a furniture store owner who discovers a mysterious and unsettling portal hidden inside his showroom. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as the store owner, while Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, and Avan Jogia are also part of the cast. The movie is currently playing in theaters.

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