Kane Parsons (perhaps better known by his YouTube handle Kane Pixels) spoke in a recent interview where he reportedly stated a desire to work on a film based on Valve’s Portal franchise.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Parsons spoke about his influences and future plans in film-making. At the age of 20, Parsons is one of the youngest directors in modern cinema. Not only that, he’s managed to direct the most successful film in A24’s history, with Backrooms smashing records in just a single week.

During his interview, Parsons reportedly expressed his desire to be involved in a Portal film.

Portal is a 2007 puzzle-platformer created by Valve and notable released as part of the Orange Box, a collection of popular Valve games. Portal takes place in the ruins of the Aperture Science Laboratories. Within, a rogue AI called GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) has been running tests and tormenting victims. The player takes on the role of Chel, a woman who wakes up in the facility and uses the titular “Portal” Gun to solve puzzles at the behest of GLaDOS.

We won’t go much deeper into the story, in case you’re reading this in 2026 and want to go back and play a game from 2007 (we’re not being sarcastic, you should play it). But the point is that Portal has become not just a crowning achievement of Valve’s library, it’s recognized as a core part of gaming as a subculture and niche hobby.

Parsons also named Portal as one of his inspirations for Backrooms. While at first they may seem unrelated, anyone who’s played Portal is probably familiar with the office-like and liminal feeling of the game’s environments. You may also be familiar with the “Ratman” from Portal. The Ratman is a survivor in the Aperture Science Laboratories who managed to elude GLaDOS after she took over the facility. You can find his increasingly unhinged graffiti in hidden spots throughout the game’s stages.

ts 1000% a ratman reference #backrooms #backroomsmovie #portal pic.twitter.com/Eut0Ng6qwH

— c truman (@BruxMaz) June 3, 2026

However, Parson’s dream first has to contend with the fact that a Portal movie (in true Valve fashion) has effectively been in development hell since one was announced in 2013. At the DICE 2013 summit, Gabe Newell and J.J. Abrams teased that they were working on a Portal or Half-Life movie. But there’s been barely any news in the 13 years since.