Three and a half years after we first saw a trailer for the film, visual effects artist / director Eric Pham's FLAY is finally going to be getting a release now that a lawsuit between Sony and independent production company Phame Factory has been resolved.
Sony was trying to block the release of FLAY because they felt the film was a rip-off of the creepypasta character Slender Man, which they own the exclusive rights to. In fact, Sony released the poorly received SLENDER MAN movie last summer. Phame Factory responded to Sony's cease-and-desist order by filing a lawsuit, seeking to prove in court that FLAY didn't infringe Sony's Slender Man copyrights. The lawsuit has resulted in an agreement where FLAY will be able to get released, but will have to feature a "this isn't Slender Man" disclaimer on its advertising materials and trailers, and in the film itself.
Written by Matthew James Daley, FLAY follows
recovering addict Patricia Crane, who inadvertently unleashes a centuries old curse and empowers Flay, a faceless killer who drags his victims to the netherworld, brutally flays them and traps their souls.
The film stars Violett Beane, Elle LaMont, Dalton Gray, Johnny Walter, Aaron Spivey-Sorrells, Peggy Schott, Kaylee King, Noe de la Garza, and PHANTASM's A. Michael Baldwin.
Once expected to be released sometime in 2016, FLAY will now be receiving a digital release on April 2nd.