Screen Gems is working on a movie based off the fictional character Slender Man. The studio already has a script from David Birke and is looking to start production in Fall 2016 to meet a 2017 release.

Slender Man is a character created as part of a contest in the Something Awful forum, with the aim of making ordinary photographs appear supernatural. Posting as Victor Surge, Eric Knudsen participated in the contest, posting two photos of children with an unnaturally tall and thin man in a black suit standing behind them.

According to the lore, Slender Man abducts children and influences people to do unspeakable acts. Others built upon this, translating to video games, short films and pop culture references. Slender Man is similar to characters like The Silence in Doctor Who and The Gentlemen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

With Screen Gems extensive history of horror movies, the studio is definitely more than capable of pulling off a Slender Man film, especially with a script from Birke. Some of Screen Gems, well, gems include The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Boogeyman, Mothman Prophecies, Hostel and action-horror flicks like the Underworld and Resident Evil franchises.

On television, the character will be getting some attention as well through Beware the Slenderman. Touted as the next Making a Murderer, the HBO documentary will focus on the crimes of teenage girls who, in 2014, stabbed their friend 19 times in the woods. Fortunately, the victim survived the ordeal, crawling out of the woods and onto a nearby road where she was found by a man who called 911 for help.

When the authorities caught the girls, they were on their way to what they believed was the Slender Man's mansion at the Nicolet National Park. They confessed to the crime, but said the Slender Man told them to hurt their friend. For what they did, the girls are awaiting trial and will be tried as adults.

Beware the Slenderman will not only spotlight the girls' obsession with the Slender Man, but will also explore whether or not it was necessary to try them as adults. One of the girls was 13 at the time, and the other 14 years old. The victim was 12 years old.

Photo: Terry Robinson | Flickr