By MICHAEL GINGOLD
Remember the killer bees, those stalwarts of 1970s nature-amok cinema? They’re coming back!
Variety reports that Justin Long and Iris Apatow are in talks to star in STUNG, which is readying to shoot later this year. It will be directed by Colin Minihan, who previously guided Long in COYOTES and helmed WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE, IT STAINS THE SANDS RED, EXTRATERRESTRIAL and GRAVE ENCOUNTERS, and was a producer on STILL/BORN, Z and SPIRAL. The project revives the menace of the killer bees, which were the subject of scare headlines in the ’70s regarding the spread of a dangerous strain of honeybee resulting from the crossbreeding of an aggressive African species with a European strain. They were showcased in movies ranging from the big-budget bomb THE SWARM to the New World cheapie THE BEES, and the popular TV movie THE SAVAGE BEES. STUNG focuses on a quartet of teenage girls whose sleepover in a luxury Orange County house becomes a nightmare when they are besieged by the Africanized bees.
“STUNG taps into a very primal fear,” Minihan says. “You’re trapped, isolated, and under attack from something unstoppable. But beneath the horror, it’s also a story about friendship, trust, and survival under pressure.”
“We were immediately drawn to the film’s contained intensity and commercial concept,” say producers Andre Relis and Jib Polhemus. “Colin has a fantastic visual style and a strong command of suspense, and we believe STUNG has the potential to become a standout genre title for audiences worldwide.” Long has become a genre regular with recent roles in NIGHT PATROL, WEAPONS, IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE, BARBARIAN and HOUSE OF DARKNESS, while Apatow just co-starred in the Prime Original PRETTY LETHAL.
