Petition to stop Slender Man movie gains thousands of signatures

A petition to stop the release of Sony's Slender Man movie has gained 6500 signatures.

The petition discusses the 2014 Milwaukee attempted murder case in which two 12-year-old girls lured their classmate to a park and stabbed her 19 times.

The pair said they carried out the stabbing in an effort to placate the fictional supernatural character "Slender Man".

"It's every parent's nightmare - a child, violently attacked in the woods. Now imagine it had actually happened to your child... and a movie company was trying to profit off her story," the petition reads.

"Now - capitalising on a tragedy that nearly cost one girl her life and irrevocably changed the lives of two more - Sony Pictures is slated to release its first Slender Man movie.

"This is crass commercialism at its worst. It's a naked cash grab built on the exploitation of a deeply traumatic event and the people who lived it."

Petition author Alison Perris hopes to reach 7000 signatures protesting the release of the film.

Originating on an internet horror forum, Slender Man stories often revolved around matters of stalking, abduction and traumatisation.

Bill Weier, the father of one of the attackers, is opposing the release of the Sony Pictures film.

"It's absurd they want to make a movie like this.

"All we're doing is extending the pain all three of these families have gone through."

He told the Associated Press he hopes local theatres won't show the film when it is released.

The film is currently in post-production and is set to premiere in May.

Newshub.