Author Robert McCammon’s 1980s short story Yellowjacket Summer is the next McCammon material to make the leap to the screen, with a movie adaptation now in the works.
Deadline reports that Gary Dauberman’s company Coin Operated has picked up the rights to Yellowjacket Summer, with Daniel Kraus (Whalefall) scripting the film adaptation.
Deadline details, “First published in the October 1986 issue of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone Magazine, McCammon’s story follows a mother and her children who become stranded in a dying Georgia town overrun by yellowjackets, uncovering an evil from within the swarm that will do anything to protect the hive.”
Gary Dauberman tells the outlet, “Yellowjacket Summer immediately stood out among the many masterpieces of horror Robert McCammon has written. And there’s no one better suited to the task of adapting it for the big screen than Daniel Kraus, whose work so often combines uniquely horrific concepts with timeless, grounded characters. Together, it has the makings of a creature feature that stings both viscerally and emotionally.”
Daniel Kraus said in his own statement, “Robert R. McCammon is a legend in horror, and I’m honored to adapt one of his best stories – a creature feature with a dash of Tennessee Williams. My goal, which is shared by Gary and Mia, is to make something scary, yes, but also poignant and heartbreaking. It’s a fascinating challenge.”
The recent Peacock series “Teacup” was based on a Robert McCammon story, though the series was cancelled after just one season. A series adaptation of McCammon’s novel “Swan Song” was announced last February, though we haven’t heard any further updates on that one.
Stay tuned for more on Yellowjacket Summer and all things Robert McCammon.