A Classic Roger Corman Movie Is Getting a Remake

Beloved cult classic The Wasp Woman is getting a fresh reimagining nearly seven decades after its original release, but this time with a wildly different tone. Strangers with Candy duo Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello are teaming up for a comedic remake of the 1959 sci-fi horror movie, with Dinello taking on writing and directing duties and Sedaris starring as the titular wasp woman.

This will be a modern twist on the cult film by legendary low-budget filmmaker Roger Corman. The original Wasp Woman was made quickly and on a shoestring budget, which was a system that often paid off for Corman. It follows Janice Starlin, the founder of a cosmetics company who, desperate to reverse aging and save her business, tests an experimental wasp enzyme serum on herself. Initially, the treatment appears to work, but it soon has horrifying side effects, causing her to transform into a violent, insect-like creature.

The film is campy and riddled with cheap effects, but its social commentary on vanity and aging was ahead of its time and helped it achieve cult status long before the likes of Death Becomes Her and The Substance. As a result, it’s not the first time The Wasp Woman has been remade, with Corman himself producing a TV version directed by Chopping Mall’s Jim Wynorski back in the 90s.

Dinello says that the project came about when Strangers With Candy producer Mark Roberts showed him the Roger Corman catalog and asked him if he was interested in doing a new spin on any of his films.

“A lot of that stuff is like Attack of the Crab Monsters, and that sort of ’50s feel,” Dinello told Variety. “It didn’t really jump out. But when I read the synopsis to Wasp Woman, it has elements of ’50s sci-fi, which I like. But it also has this very modern story about this former model, a supercharged businesswoman who’s dealing with aging and is willing to take a fringe product to try to salvage her looks or give her youth. When I read it, I immediately thought, ‘This is perfect for Amy.’”

Sedaris agreed, adding, “Are you kidding me? A wasp woman? And just the costumes alone, it seems like it’s going to be like a very artistic film. I’m into that, wardrobe and sets. It’ll be interesting to see who else we get to cast in this movie. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”