Is Shawn Levy Really Trying to Do a Mash-Up Movie with Star Wars and a New Horror Fave?
Hold on.
Shawn Levy just dropped an idea that’s got Hollywood buzzing. The director behind Star Wars: Starfighter and producer of the breakout horror hit Backrooms is floating the wildest crossover concept imaginable, a mash-up between Star Wars and the viral horror phenomenon.
Box office watchers say that Backrooms didn’t just compete with The Mandalorian and Grogu, it crushed expectations and became A24’s highest-grossing domestic release ever in under a week. Now, Levy is hinting that these two wildly different worlds might not stay separate for long. According to Movieweb, he recently told Vanity Fair that working on both projects has him daydreaming about what a crossover could look like.
“Right now, I’m making a movie called Star Wars: Starfighter, and so I very much have Star Wars on my mind,” he said. “And I can’t help but be captivated by a Backrooms x Star Wars mashup and, luckily, I’ve got a little bit involvement in both, so I’ll see what I can do.” That last part is the real kicker. Levy isn’t just throwing out a random idea, he’s got skin in the game with both franchises, which means this crossover isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds.
Here’s the thing, though
A Backrooms and Star Wars mash-up is way easier said than done. Star Wars is owned by Disney, one of the biggest studios in the world, and they’re notoriously protective of their IP. Disney still hasn’t officially released The Star Wars Holiday Special or the unaltered cuts of the original trilogy.
So, the idea of them greenlighting a crossover with a horror property like Backrooms seems like a long shot. But Levy’s involvement in both projects means we can’t count it out completely. If anyone has a shot at making this happen, it’s him. For now, any crossover would probably be more about creative collaboration than a full-blown narrative mash-up.
Think Backrooms director Kane Parsons getting involved in a Star Wars project or a Star Wars filmmaker lending their talents to a future Backrooms installment. That’s a lot more plausible than Disney and A24 suddenly teaming up for a shared universe. Still, the idea of these two worlds colliding is too intriguing to ignore.
Backrooms is all about eerie, endless liminal spaces, and Star Wars has its own surreal corners, like the World Between Worlds from Ahsoka. That dimension is already a perfect bridge between the two franchises. Imagine Parsons exploring that realm with his signature horror touch. It’s a match made in genre-bending heaven.
The timing of this crossover talk is interesting
Backrooms just became a cultural phenomenon, raking in about $118 million worldwide and making Kane Parsons the youngest filmmaker ever to top the box office. Meanwhile, Star Wars is at a crossroads. Kathleen Kennedy, the longtime head of Lucasfilm, has stepped down, and the franchise is looking for fresh direction.
For years, fans have speculated about what an R-rated or horror-leaning Star Wars project could look like. With Kennedy gone, the new leadership might be more open to experimental storytelling. Star Wars has always been rooted in sci-fi adventure, but maybe a little horror could be exactly what the franchise needs to shake things up.
Levy’s comments have already sparked a ton of online discussion, per Comic Basics. Fans are dissecting every angle of this potential crossover, from the creative possibilities to the logistical nightmares. Some are pointing out that Star Wars has dabbled in darker, more surreal territory before. Others are skeptical that Disney would ever take such a big risk.
But the fact that this conversation is happening at all is a sign of how much the entertainment landscape has changed. Franchises are no longer confined to their traditional genres. If Star Wars can explore horror and Backrooms can lean into sci-fi, who’s to say they can’t meet in the middle?
Levy’s idea is still just that, an idea
Of course, there’s a big difference between a director’s daydream and an actual movie. Levy’s idea is still just an idea. But it’s one that’s got people talking, and in Hollywood, that’s half the battle. If nothing else, this crossover talk is a reminder that the boundaries of storytelling are always expanding.
Backrooms proved that horror can be a massive box office draw, even when it’s up against a juggernaut like Star Wars. And Star Wars has shown time and again that it’s willing to evolve, even if it takes a while. Whether or not this mash-up ever happens, it’s fun to imagine what it could look like.
For now, fans will have to settle for the next best thing – Star Wars: Starfighter, which Levy is currently wrapping up. That movie is set to hit theaters next year. In the meantime, the success of Backrooms has already changed the game. It’s not just a horror hit, it’s a cultural moment, and its impact is being felt across the industry. If Star Wars is smart, it’ll take notes.
(Featured image: Gage Skidmore)
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