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Slender Man Movie Gets a Fittingly Generic Trailer

Slender Man’s uniqueness is firmly rooted in the monster’s “creepypasta” internet-based origins and subsequent evolution, despite legal ownership by original creator Eric Knudsen. So, it comes as no surprise that an attempt to translate that character to movie screens feels more like an underwhelming limitation than a big moment, as is the case with the upcoming movie’s first trailer.

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There’s still plenty of time and space for this movie to prove that initial impression wrong, but I’m not holding out a lot of hope. The trailer hits some familiar notes: He gets in your head! Kids seeming possessed and being compelled to write things! Weird imagery that looks straight out of the murderous video from The Ring! Creepy child laughter sounds in the background!

Knudsen has previously stated that he just wants “something amazing” to be created from the legal rights to Slender Man, but allowing the character to be taken from its grassroots popularity and turning it into something that feels more deliberately manufactured just seems backwards. It’s also hard to watch the trailer and not be reminded of the attempted murder case in which two 12-year-old girls in the real world blamed Slender Man for their actions.

I don’t think any of that is necessarily a reason not to make an official Slender Man movie, but I’m also struggling to come up with a good reason to make one.

(featured image: Sony Pictures)

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Dan Van Winkle
Dan Van Winkle (he) is an editor and manager who has been working in digital media since 2013, first at now-defunct <em>Geekosystem</em> (RIP), and then at <em>The Mary Sue</em> starting in 2014, specializing in gaming, science, and technology. Outside of his professional experience, he has been active in video game modding and development as a hobby for many years. He lives in North Carolina with Lisa Brown (his wife) and Liz Lemon (their dog), both of whom are the best, and you will regret challenging him at <em>Smash Bros.</em>

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