Variety is reporting that Sony’s upcoming film Slender Man is experiencing some major troubles behind the scenes which will almost certainly delay the film.
In Variety’s exclusive report, it appears that the “… producers are having heated disagreements about the release strategy with Sony Pictures, the studio that is supposed to debut the film in August. Sony sees the film as a low-budget, Blumhouse-style release, according to two insiders, while the producers, a group that includes William Sherak and James Vanderbilt, have more confidence in the movie. The are pushing for the picture to unspool across more screens and also want a bigger marketing push, which will cost more money than Sony is willing to spend.”
This disagreement may even land the film at a streaming service such as Netflix or Amazon as “The producers have triggered a clause in their contract that allows them to solicit higher offers. They’ve shown the film to several studios including Netflix and Amazon, but some companies that have seen the nearly completed picture are skeptical about its commercial potential.”
While this does occur in Hollywood from time to time, “It is extremely rare for a film to be shopped to other studios so close to its scheduled release. Sony has already debuted a trailer for the film, and unveiled posters, and promotional images. Presumably whoever buys the film would have to pay the studio back for any expenses it incurred.”
This isn’t the first time that the merits of the upcoming film have been questioned, as HNN reported in January that “Only a day after the trailer was released, Bill Weier, the father of one of the girls involved in the stabbing of a classmate in the name of the Slender Man character, told the Associated Press that he felt that Sony’s choice was in poor taste.” The film has already been moved around the release schedule as well, moving from May 18 to August 24. Whether Slender Man keeps its August release date at this point is anyone’s guess, but don’t be surprised to see it disappear from the schedule until it can find a new home elsewhere.
Stay tuned to Horror News Network for more details on Slender Man’s plight and be sure to check out our summer movie preview for all of your horror needs.
