Sony Frees FLAY from SLENDER MAN Lawsuit! Look for it This April
Josh Millican
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In 2018 the King of Creepypasta, Slenderman, made his big screen debut in Sony’s Slender Man. But it might not have been the fiend’s first feature film had the studio not blocked the release of Flay. Originally slated for release in 2017, the featured baddie in Flay bares more than just a passing resemblance to Slender; since Sony owns the rights to Slender Man, they blocked their potential competitor’s release.
The irony is, of course, that Sony got such cold feet about Slender Man (particularly, complaints that it affiliated itself with an actual violent crime) they mutilated it into a hot mess of PG-13 horror tropes and tired plot motivators. The entire situation was kind of a lose-lose situation, not just for Sony and Phame Factory (the studio being Flay), but for fans of Slenderman and horror in general.
Today, however, we’re happy to announce that Sony has freed Flay from any potential litigation (so long as the add a disclaimer to their marketing materials). “I’m now very happy to say that we obtained a very favorable resolution of this lawsuit and finally have the legal right to release our feature film”, says Eric Pham on behalf of Phame Factory.
Here’s the scoop from the press release we received:
Flay, originally due for release in 2017, tells of a young woman who goes up against a malevolent faceless spirit. Sony claimed Phame Factory’s film was a rip-off of the Slender Man legend, which the studio believed they had exclusive rights to. As a result of the messy legal tangle, writer and producer Eric Pham opted not to release the film until he met the studio in court.
Phame Factory has now set an April 2, 2019 release for the film, which stars Violett Beane (God Friended Me), and A. Michael Baldwin (Phantasm).
Check out the poster and trailer for Flay below.
Are you a fan of Slenderman? Are you excited to check out Flay next month? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
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