EXCLUSIVE: Screen Gems Developing Slender Man Film

Screen Gems is developing a film based off the internet meme Slender Man, sources have confirmed exclusively to Comicbook.com. The film, based on the recent horror icon, has a script by David Birke already, and is seeking a Fall 2016 production for a 2017 release.

The character Slender Man was created in a Something Awful forum contest to make everyday photographs look supernatural. When Eric Knudsen, posting as "Victor Surge" posted two photos of children with an unnaturally tall, thin man behind them wearing a black suit. The character abducted children and influenced people to commit terrible acts, according to Knudsen's lore. Other posters added to the character's lore, leading to short films, video games, and pop culture references. The character has drawn similarities to entities such as "The Gentelemen" on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and "The Silence" on Doctor Who.

Screen Gems has an extensive horror history, with films like The Mothman Prophecies, Boogeyman, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Hostel, and action-horror films like the Resident Evil franchise and Underworld franchise under their belts. Birke has written screenplays based on real-life killers Dahmer and Gacy, as well as horror remake/adaptation 13 Sins.