Strangers with Candy creators Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris reunite for sci-fi horror remake The Wasp Woman
At the end of the ’90s, comedians Paul Dinello, Amy Sedaris, and Stephen Colbert teamed with writer Mitch Rouse to create the sitcom Strangers with Candy, which was inspired by classic after school specials and ran for three seasons on Comedy Central with Sedaris in the lead role. Years later, Dinello, Sedaris, and Colbert wrapped things up with the Strangers with Candy movie, which served as a prequel to the TV show and was directed by Dinello. Now, it has been announced that Dinello and Sedaris are working together again – and this time, they’re bringing us a remake, or a “comedic reimagining,” of the 1959 sci-fi horror film The Wasp Woman!
Synopsis
Directed by the legendary Roger Corman from a script that was crafted by Leo Gordon and Kinta Zertuche, The Wasp Woman centered on Janice Starlin, the founder of a cosmetics company who attempts to reverse the aging process using experimental enzymes derived from queen wasps, with disastrous results. A press release confirms that the new film will have the same plot.
The remake is being produced by Mark Roberts, who produced the Strangers with Candy film; Jordan Fields of Radial Entertainment, which owns the Roger Corman library via its Shout! Studios brand; Meyer Shwarzstein of Another Brainy Idea, and Michael Richter of A Major Production.
Dinello, who served as writer/supervising producer for The Late Show, will write and direct the new film. He provided the following statement: “When I read the story about a former supermodel turned dynamic businesswoman who slowly metamorphosed into a violent insect, I immediately thought, Amy Sedaris.” Sedaris added, “I love working with these guys. Can’t wait!“
Joseph Middleton, who previously worked on the Strangers with Candy film and served as head of casting at Paramount for a decade, is on board to assemble the cast. The press release notes that Sedaris is likely to “tap her comedy friends” for the project.
Previous Versions
Roger Corman made the original The Wasp Woman on a budget of around $50,000 and shot the movie in less than two weeks. Susan Cabot starred as Janice Starlin. In 1995, Corman produced a remake of the film for Showtime as part of the anthology series Roger Corman Presents. Jim Wynorski directed that one from a screenplay by Daniella Purcell and Guy Prevost, with Jennifer Rubin taking on the role of Janice Starlin.
The original The Wasp Woman is a wacky movie with a running time of just 73 minutes, so I usually end up putting it on at some point every October, during my month-long horror marathon. The set-up is there for a fun “comedic reimagining,” so I look forward to seeing what Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris do with the concept.
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