Sting Trailer Releases Spider Movie into the Horror Comedy World

The first trailer for Sting, an upcoming horror comedy involving spiders, has been released. The film concerns a little girl named Charlotte, whose name choice is likely an E. B. White reference and, if not, is just a funny coincidence. Charlotte is a rebellious pre-teen girl who feels ignored by her parents after the birth of her new sibling. Her isolation persists despite Charlotte's father's attempts to bond with her through their comic co-creation, Fang Girl.

One stormy night, an object flies through the window of the family's rundown New York apartment. It is, in fact, an egg from which a not-so-ordinary spider emerges. When Charlotte discovers the creature, she names it Sting and keeps it as a new pet. But, in the words of Bloody Disgusting, "as Charlotte's fascination with Sting increases, so does its size."

As is usually the case with any growth spurt, a bigger size means a bigger appetite. Eventually, Sting moves on from eating the neighbor's pets in favor of bigger prey. Upon realizing they've become trapped with a giant and hungry arachnid, Charlotte's family and the rest of the building must figure out how to stop it, with Charlotte being the only one who knows how.

This is a bad time to have arachnophobia. In addition to Sting, another upcoming horror movie, Vermin, will use real spiders. That one's about another apartment building, this time being tormented by multiple spiders. There's also the Arachnophobia remake from Christopher Landon, director of Happy Death Day and Freaky, coming out sometime.

Sting Uses Practical Effects from Oscar-Winners Weta

Sting's cast consists of Alyla Browne (Three Thousand Years of Longing, Nine Perfect Strangers), Ryan Corr (House of the Dragon, The Water Diviner), Penelope Mitchell (Hemlock Grove, Hellboy), Robyn Nevin (Top of the Lake, Relic), Noni Hazelhurst (The End, Upright), and Jermaine Fowler (Retreat, Superior Donuts).

"With a bold vision and impressive script, this talented team have crafted more than just a creature feature but also a powerful emotional drama. There is no denying that the horror genre has such a passionate global fanbase and I have no doubt this film will engage – and thrill – audiences around the world," said CEO of Screen Australia Graeme Mason.

To bring Sting to life, the film will use practical effects courtesy of Weta Workshop, winner of an Academy Award for its work five different times out of their New Zealand workshop. The Creative Director of the Workshop is Richard Taylor, whose previous credits include Blade Runner 2049, King Kong (2005), and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

While StudioCanal will be handling the distribution of Sting in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Benelux, Well Go USA will be releasing Sting in theaters on April 12, 2024. Learn more at the website for Sting here.