The horror film Slender Man won't be shown at Marcus Theatres locations near the Wisconsin site where, in 2014, two 12-year-old girls attempted to murder a classmate, purportedly to impress the fictional character.
The source material for the film has an unusual history, beginning with the creation of the legend of "Slender Man" in 2009 in an online forum. Although it was originally submitted as an entry in a photo-editing contest to come up with a mock urban legend, the post gained momentum as a meme and became a popular icon of scary stories.
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In 2014, two 12-year-old girls in Waukesha, Wisconsin, lured their classmate to a Milwaukee park and stabbed her 19 times. The attackers claimed their actions were an attempt to please Slender Man.
WISC-TV News in Madison, Wisconsin, reports that, out of respect for the families of the girls involved, and for others who were affected, the Marcus Point Cinema and Marcus Palace Cinema theaters in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties will not screen Slender Man, which opens Friday nationwide.
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"Like many people across the United States, Marcus Theatres was deeply concerned and saddened when the Slender Man phenomenon touched Southeastern Wisconsin in such a profound way, changing the lives of many families forever," Marcus Theatres said in a statement.
Directed by Sylvain White, Slender Man stars Joey King, Julia Goldani-Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Annalise Basso and Javier Botet.