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Filmmakers seek new home for “SLENDER MAN” movie

Thursday, May 31, 2018 | News

By MICHAEL GINGOLD

Sony’s Screen Gems division has planned to open its SLENDER MAN chiller August 24 for some time, but now the film’s distribution fate is up in the air.

Variety reports that SLENDER MAN’s producers are enacting a clause in their contract allowing them to seek a richer release deal for the movie, which is based on the infamous “creepypasta” on-line legend and was directed by Sylvain White. The trade explains that the SLENDER MAN team want a bigger marketing push than Sony will commit to, and for it to play on more screens. All this is rather odd, as Sony has been aggressively selling SLENDER MAN—the trailer and posters (seen below) have already been in theaters for months—and all indications were that the film was set for a wide U.S. break.

The producers have reportedly screened the movie for a number of studios and streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon, and some who have seen it are dubious about its commercial prospects. Part of the issue is that the Slender Man phenomenon has incited a real-life 2014 tragedy, in which two schoolgirls repeatedly stabbed and nearly killed a classmate (as documented in HBO’s BEWARE THE SLENDERMAN). Even though SLENDER MAN tells a fictional story, there has already been online controversy and a petition established to stop its release. Sony may still open SLENDER MAN as intended if another distributor doesn’t meet the producers’ terms; stay tuned for further updates.

Michael Gingold
Michael Gingold (RUE MORGUE's Head Writer) has been covering the world of horror cinema for over three decades, and in addition to his work for RUE MORGUE, he has been a longtime writer and editor for FANGORIA magazine and its website. He has also written for BIRTH.MOVIES.DEATH, SCREAM, IndieWire.com, TIME OUT, DELIRIUM, MOVIEMAKER and others. He is the author of the AD NAUSEAM books (1984 Publishing) and THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO MONSTER MOVIES (FAB Press), and he has contributed documentaries, featurettes and liner notes to numerous Blu-rays, including the award-winning feature-length doc TWISTED TALE: THE UNMAKING OF "SPOOKIES" (Vinegar Syndrome).