Gary Dauberman Adapting Robert R. McCammon Short ‘Yellowjacket Summer’ From a Script by Daniel Kraus!

In a buzzy headline featuring all sorts of talent, Deadline reports that Gary Dauberman‘s (Annabelle Comes Home) Coin Operated has secured rights to the Robert R. McCammon short story, Yellowjacket Summer, with Daniel Kraus (Angel Down) penning the script!

Talk about a murderer’s row of gifted genre storytellers.

The outlet notes that the story was first published in the October 1986 issue of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone Magazine and “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.”

Dauberman will produce alongside Mia Maniscalco via Coin Operated.

Said Dauberman, ““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.”

Added Kraus, “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.”

Kraus recently won a Pulitzer for his wildly unique novel, Angel Down. He’s also the author of the upcoming Whalefall, about a guy swallowed by a whale who must find a way out. I’ve read it, and it’s breathtaking…literally.

McCammon was one of my favorite authors growing up, up there with Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I’m still begging for a feature adaptation of Wolf’s Hour. Personally, I haven’t read Yellowjacket Summer, but we can never have too much bee horror! Just ask Candyman.