Stinger: James Wan producing series adaptation of Robert R. McCammon novel for Peacock

A month and a half after ordering a Friday the 13th series called Crystal Lake from Hannibal showrunner Bryan Fuller, the Peacock streaming service has now announced that they’re also teaming up with genre filmmaker James Wan for a series adaptation of the 1988 bestseller Stinger, written by Robert R. McCammon (pick up a copy HERE). The series apparently won’t be keeping the Stinger title, because Peacock and the producers are currently referring to it as the Untitled Ian McCulloch Project, since Yellowstone consulting producer Ian McCulloch is on board to write and executive produce the show.

McCammon’s novel has the following description: The story takes place during a single twenty-four hour period in Inferno, Texas. Inferno is a town in trouble, driven to the brink by racial tension, gang violence, and a collapsing economy. But things can always get worse, and they do so with astonishing speed when an unidentified spacecraft crash lands in the desert outside of town, followed by a second craft bearing the alien being who will soon be known as Stinger. Stinger is a kind of interstellar hunter on a mission he intends to complete, whatever the cost. He brings with him an endless array of technological marvels and an infinite capacity for destruction that threaten the existence of Inferno, its inhabitants, and the larger world beyond.

Wan and McCulloch will executive produce the series adaptation alongside Michael Clear, Rob Hackett, and E.L. Katz. Katz, who has directed the films Cheap Thrills and Small Crimes, a segment of ABCs of Death 2, and episodes of Scream, Channel Zero, Swamp Thing, and The Haunting of Bly Manor, will direct the pilot episode. The Stinger adaptation is being produced by Universal Studio Group’s UCP and Wan’s company Atomic Monster.

Lisa Katz of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming provided the following statement (via The Hollywood Reporter): “We are so excited for this adrenalized thriller about a group of people overcoming adversity, that’s both entertaining and emotional. We know this upcoming drama will be in expert hands with James Wan, E.L. Katz, Ian McCulloch, our partners at UCP, and is sure to be a binge-worthy mystery for Peacock audiences.”

UCP’s Beatrice Springborn added: “When you bring together James Wan, Ian McCulloch, E.L. Katz and a bestselling novel by Robert McCammon, you’ve got all the ingredients for an incredible series. We’re ecstatic to partner with Peacock to bring this thrill ride of a show to their audience.”

Have you read McCammon’s novel, and if so, what do you think of Stinger serving as the basis for a Peacock series? Let us know by leaving a comment below. I haven’t read the novel yet myself, but I’ll definitely be checking it out before this show premieres.

Stinger Robert R. McCammon
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

About the Author

Cody is a news editor and film critic, focused on the horror arm of JoBlo.com, and writes scripts for videos that are released through the JoBlo Originals and JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channels. In his spare time, he's a globe-trotting digital nomad, runs a personal blog called Life Between Frames, and writes novels and screenplays.