20th Century Studios has unleashed the first trailer for its upcoming supernatural horror film THE EMPTY MAN. Based on the horror comic book series created by Cullen Bunn and Vanesa R. Del Rey, the trailer teases a Candyman-like urban legend that revolves around a boogeyman that's got a taste for teens.
Here's the official synopsis for The Empty Man:
After a group of teens from a small Midwestern town begin to mysteriously disappear, the locals believe it is the work of an urban legend known as The Empty Man. As a retired cop investigates and struggles to make sense of the stories, he discovers a secretive group and their attempts to summon a horrific, mystical entity, and soon his life—and the lives of those close to him—are in grave danger. Directed by David Prior from a screen story and screenplay by David Prior based on the graphic novel by Cullen Bunn, “The Empty Man” stars James Badge Dale, Marin Ireland, Stephen Root, Ron Canada, Robert Aramayo, Joel Courtney, and Sasha Frolova.
It's strange, but at any other time, I think The Empty Man would do okay at the box office during the year's spookiest of seasons. However, we're still in the midst of a global pandemic, and yet Disney is choosing to offload a film they acquired from the Fox merger in just seven days' time. What that says about Disney's confidence in the film I cannot say. Well, maybe I can. The move to release The Empty Man in theaters as they are right now is a terrible decision and could be viewed as an insult to those involved with the project. I'm fairly certain that Disney could have kept this one in the can for another year, but here we are, with the House of Mouse wanting to put this one to bed rather than give it the chance it so rightfully deserves. I'd say it's their loss, but it's really a shame for all involved. Here's hoping the film gets a fair shake when it's eventually released in the home market.
THE EMPTY MAN will be released in theaters on Friday, October 23. Advance tickets are currently on sale.