Screen Gems has picked up on the Slenderman meme and decided the character would make a fantastic horror movie. And so, against all common sense, they’re making it happen. Slenderman started out as a fan-made creepypasta. Like many creepypastas, this one took on a life of its own, spawning some games, a Law & Order episode, and a real-life stabbing case. The trailer for the movie released just earlier today, and it’s chock-full of creepy stock footage noises and psychotic nonsense imagery. Spoiler alert: Slenderman gets one-tenth of a second of face time (or face-less time) and doesn’t seem to be wearing his iconic suit.
Well, if you’ve ever wondered what a feature-length presentation centered entirely around a nearly decade-old Internet campfire story would look like, now you know. The Slenderman (or Slender Man) movie stars Javier Botet as the titular character, Jaz Sinclair, Joey King, Julia Telles, Annalise Basso, and Kevin Chapman. Sylvain White is set to direct, with script writing by David Birke and Victor Surge. That’s eye-catching, since Surge (aka Eric Knudson) is the original creator of the creepypasta. Wonder what he thinks so far…
Screen Gems will roll out a few other movies while they’re at it – all of them being horror titles except one action thriller. They’re a branch of Sony Pictures probably best known for the Underworld series, and horror is kind of their thing. Best not hold your breath, though – the Youtube comments already show a lackluster reception, with many claiming the time for a Slenderman movie came and went years ago. The one promising thing this film has going for it is, again, the script-work by Victor Surge. We’ll find out soon whether old Slendy can make it as a movie star, but until then, enjoy the other good movies lined up for the year.
