Who Owns the Viral Internet Monster Slenderman?
As a passionate gamer and content creator, I‘m constantly exploring the stories behind popular games and characters. Lately, I‘ve been digging into the history and ownership rights of Slenderman – one of the internet‘s most well-known horror figures. For those hungry to learn more, here‘s the full scoop.
The original creator and rightsholder of the core Slenderman concept, character design, and upcoming films is Victor Surge (real name: Eric Knudsen). He retains full ownership and copyright over the supernatural creature he unleashed on the world back in 2009.
The Viral Birth of a Monster
Over a decade ago, Knudsen photoshopped ominous images of a faceless suited entity for a "paranormal pictures" contest on the Something Awful forums. Little did he know this humanoid monster he dubbed "Slenderman" would ignite an entire legend fandom.
Within months, Slenderman went viral with people creating stories, games, and images that expanded on his mystique as a child-stealing forest demon. Some accounts portray him as an abnormally tall creature with long limbs or tentacles. What began as a simple contest entry transformed into a collectively-crafted mythos.
As of 2023, over 58,000 Slenderman-related results pop up on search engines and Youtube. His legend continues to grow thanks to derivative works likely protected under fair use.
Sony Snatches Up Film Rights
Smelling major franchise potential, Sony Pictures and its Screen Gems division swooped in to acquire theatrical rights to Slenderman from creator Knudsen back in 2010. This acquisition only covers future movie development.
"Sony can create Slenderman films but does not own the character itself, which belongs to its creator."
In 2018, Screen Gems released a feature film telling the horrific true-crime tale of two 12-year olds who stabbed their friend 19 times to "impress" the mythical internet boogeyman. The movie debuted at #3 in the box office, grossing over $30 million against a small budget.
| Rights Holder | Area | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Victor Surge (Eric Knudsen) | Original character and concept | Retains full copyright and ownership |
| Sony Pictures / Screen Gems | Theatrical motion picture rights | Acquired in perpetuity from Knudsen |
| Fans / Public | Online stories, games, images | Derivative works likely fall under fair use |
Sony likely still sees lucrative potential in this horror property. I predict they‘ll revive Slenderman as either theatrical sequels or a streaming series within the next 3 years.
The Fandom Carries the Mythos
While Sony may own the films, Slenderman has evolved far beyond Knudsen‘s original photoshop work, taking on a crowdsourced life as online campfire lore.
His legend continues spreading through fan-made Slender games, creepypasta stories, Reddit threads, web videos, and chilling artwork plastered across 4chan and other forums. Users endlessly speculate over or fabricate origins, sightings, and nightmarish encounters with the stretched-limbed spectre.
These grassroot myth-building efforts surrounding Slenderman fascinate me as a creator. While derivative works likely fall under fair use protections, fans still respect Knudsen‘s ownership over the authentic item.
Slenderman Forever Stalks the Digital Forest
At the end of the day, while Sony may plan to further capitalize on Slenderman‘s big screen potential, creator Victor Surge retains full rights over this iconic creepypasta cryptid he unleashed over a decade ago.
For digital storytellers like myself, Slenderman stands tall as a seminal example of collaborative horror worldbuilding fused with viral online momentum. Through a combination of grassroot fan dedication and corporate Hollywood gaming the IP system, this faceless bogeyman will likely haunt our digital campfires forevermore.
I‘d love to hear your take! Let‘s discuss more in the comments.
