Screen Gems Is Reportedly Developing a SLENDER MAN Horror Film
We all knew that it was only a matter of time before some studio in Hollywood decided to adapt the Slender Man horror icon into a feature film. According to a report from ComicBook.com, Screen Gems is currently in the process of developing the movie, and a script already exists that was written by David Birke (13 Sins).
Slender Man is a nightmarish character, and I think there’s potential for this to be a terrifying horror film. Slender Man originated on a forum called Something Awful. User Victor Surge was part of a thread asking for “paranormal images through Photoshop.” Surge posted two photos of Slender Man with the following text:
“We didn’t want to go, we didn’t want to kill them, but its persistent silence and outstretched arms horrified and comforted us at the same time . . . 1983, photographer unknown, presumed dead.
“One of two recovered photographs from the Stirling City Library blaze. Notable for being taken the day which fourteen children vanished and for what is referred to as ‘The Slender Man’. Deformities cited as film defects by officials. Fire at library occurred one week later. Actual photograph confiscated as evidence. – 1986, photographer: Mary Thomas, missing since June 13th, 1986."
From there, the users of the forum continued to build on the mythology of the nightmarish being. Slender Man has since exploded online with fan art, a miniseries, stories, short films, video games and more.
Screen Gems seems like the right fit for the big screen adaptation as they have a solid history of producing horror films. According to the report, they are looking to start shooting this fall, and the movie should be released in 2017. I’m actually looking forward to seeing how this turns out.
Here's one of the original photos that helped launch the Slender Man legend.