In October of last year we told you that XYZ Films would be prepping the giant mutant insect horror-comedy STUNG and now, almost 10 months later, it seems the project is gaining some traction as genre fave Lance Henriksen, Peter Stormare (BAD MILO), Jessica Cook ("Mistresses") and Matt O'Leary (MOTHER'S DAY) have all joined the cast.
Benni Diez is set to direct and Christian Becker and Benjamin Munz of Munich and Berlin-based Rat Pack Filmproduction produce the story of a two catering staff at a fancy garden party who battle a mutated species of wasp. Here's the synopsis that was floating around for the project last year:
Mrs. Perch, an elderly, wealthy lady from rural America, is throwing a fancy garden party at her remote country villa. Same procedure as every year – except this time her illegally imported plant fertilizer seeps into the ground.
Subsequently, a local species of killer wasps that usually lay their eggs into other insects mutates into 7 ft tall predators. And the celebrating upper class company provides just the right kind of prey. It’s up to Paul and Julia, the two catering staffers, to stop the creatures, fight for their lives, and incidentally getting their stumbling romance in order.
Munz developed STUNG from an idea by Adam Aresty, who won RatPack’s 2012 horror writing contest Write For Your Life.
Director Diez says of the project..
“Stung, to me, is bringing the creature feature cult film feeling from the 80s into the present and a modern-day fun horror movie."
XYZ serves as executive producer and handles world sales on the film, set to commence production on Oct 22 in Berlin. The Los Angeles-based company has licensed UK, Canadian, German, French and Scandinavian rights to eOne.
STUNG star Jessica Cook