Sony has finally released a second trailer for its Slender Man movie, just two weeks ahead of its release in theaters. The horror/thriller, which is based on the creepypasta Internet meme created by Eric Knudsen (aka. Victor Surge), was written by David Birke (Elle) and directed by Sylvian White (The Losers).

Originally set to debut theatrically back in May, Slender Man has since seen its release date shifted away to late August before, most recently, it was bumped up to two weeks earlier (taking fellow Sony release Searching's previous date). The movie has also been accused of popularizing the real life tragedy known as the Slender Man Stabbing - where a 12-year old girl was nearly killed by her two mentally disturbed friends (who claimed to be under the monster's control) - and, back in late May, it was reported that Slender Man was being shopped to other distributors over disagreements between the film's producers and Sony. Nevertheless, in spite of all that, the film will hit theaters next month and has a trailer to prove it.

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As the new trailer illustrates, Slender Man revolves around a group of high school girls from a small Massachusetts town who perform a ritual meant to summon Slender Man, in an attempt to uncover the truth about the creature behind the myth. Suffice it to say, they get more than they bargained for and must fight to stay alive when the unnaturally tall and thin figure comes calling for them. For more on that, watch Sony's new Slender Man trailer in the space above.

Poster for the movie Slender Man.

The Slender Man cast includes Joey King (The Conjuring), Jaz Sinclair (Paper Towns), Annalisa Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil), and Julia Goldani Telles (The Affair), all of whom play unlucky teens who cross paths with the eponymous monster in the film. As for the Slender Man himself, he's played by Javier Botet, whose many other creep-tastic roles include the Crooked Man in The Conjuring 2, the Leper in IT, and (most recently) Keyface in Insidious: The Last Key. As one would expect, Botet as Slender Man only makes brief appearances in the second trailer, with just his hands being visible in the clearest shots here.

While the Slender Man trailers aren't lacking when it comes to unnerving imagery, they also suggest the actual film relies heavily on horror movie cliches, as far as the plot and characters go. Similarly, the latest trailer includes a number of moments that seem rather derivative of more infamous moments from landmark horror titles like The Ring and Evil Dead, albeit watered down and less effective. Fortunately, should Slender Man prove to be a dud, there are more promising horror movies on the horizon (like Halloween and The Nun) that should allow the genre to close out 2018 on a strong note.

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Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment

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