Peacock Unveils First Look at ‘Teacup’ at San Diego Comic Con

Written by John Edward Betancourt

All Photos from ‘Teacup’ and the SDCC ‘Teacup’ Panel, Courtesy of Peacock

For geeks and nerds everywhere, or nerds that geek if you will, a magical weekend has arrived. For San Diego Comic Con is here at last, and with it comes so much joy. One complete with amazing cosplay, that sense of unity amongst the nerd community and of course… a chance to learn about new shows and new movies thanks to networks and studios showcasing upcoming shows and Peacock made sure to get into the game. For they hosted two major panels today, one of which offered up a sneak peek at an anticipated horror series.
 
For fans at the convention were able to enjoy a first look at, Teacup, and learn about the series from executive producers James Wan and Ian McCulloch and cast members Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Speedman, and Chaske Spencer, and what we learned… was amazing. In that, the show will now debut on October 10 this year, with a two-episode premiere, with new episodes arriving until Halloween and of course, first-look photos and a teaser were present, all of which we will share with you now, and more. Because Peacock and the team behind Teacup are beyond excited for everyone to enjoy this fascinating and creepy new series, and do not want you to miss you.
 
ABOUT TEACUP 
TEACUP follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive. Inspired by the New York Times bestselling novel Stinger by Robert McCammon. 

Premiere Date/Rollout: October 10, 2024 (2 Episodes Weekly)
Writer / Executive Producer: Ian McCulloch (Yellowstone, Deputy, Chicago Fire) 
Director (101, 102) / Executive Producer: E.L. Katz (The Haunting of Bly Manor, Channel Zero) 
Executive Producers: James Wan (The Conjuring Universe, Archive 81, M3GAN), Michael Clear (Archive 81, Swamp Thing) and Rob Hackett (Archive 81, I Know What You Did Last Summer) for Atomic Monster, Francisca X. Hu, Kevin Tancharoen 
Executive Producer / Author (Stinger): Robert McCammon 
Cast: Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Speedman, Chaske Spencer, Kathy Baker, Boris McGiver, Caleb Dolden, Emilie Bierre, Luciano Leroux 
Studio: UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group 
Genre/Format: Horror Thriller, 8 x 30 Min Episodes 
 
A NOTE FROM IAN MCCULLOCH (SHOWRUNNER / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)
When Atomic Monster first approached me about creating a series adaptation of Robert McCammon’s Stinger—a no-holds-barred, gargantuan spectacle of a novel along the lines of The Stand, Independence Day and Mars Attacks—to be honest, I didn’t want to throw my hat in the ring. I’m not a spectacle writer. I’m a less-is-more writer. I gravitate more toward what are known as keyhole epics. Large stories told through small lenses. Think Signs, The Thing, A Quiet Place.
 
But here’s the thing. I read Stinger and it stayed with me. Wouldn’t leave me alone. I just couldn’t stop thinking about its razor-sharp premise, how it unfolds over the course of a single harrowing day, and about the relatable and real family McCammon puts center stage. That’s when the flash bang-light bulb idea hit…
 
What if I adapted Stinger in a way that honors the book and stays true to the kinds of stories I like to tell? Keep the conceit. Keep Stinger’s most effective elements. Take away the large ensemble. Take away the giant set pieces. Even take away the book’s crowded town setting. The adaptation would be like an acoustic guitar version of, say, a Radiohead song. It won’t have the production value, electronic instruments, loops, or synthesized bells and whistles but it will still have the melody, the structure, the lyrics, the real magic at the core, all the stuff that makes a great song a great song.
 
All of which is to say I could suddenly see exactly what to do and how to do it. Two weeks later, Atomic Monster had the script for the first episode. Soon after that, Peacock bought it. Not so long after that, both my creative and career dreams actually started coming true as more scripts were written, hires made, actors cast, sets built, and production began…
 
Of course, during production the series changed and evolved. Just as it should. Even the title’s different. Stinger is now Teacup. The reasons for this are too spoilery to share but watch the first few episodes and all will be revealed. Point being, the series is now very much its own thing: a puzzle-box mystery, an edge-of-your-seat thriller, a can’t-but-must look horror story, a family drama, a science fiction epic—of the keyhole variety, of course. But as singular, strange, and surprising as I hope Teacup is, all you need to do is peel away the layers, characters, situations, and mythology and look behind the thrills, chills, hairpin turns and make-you gasp reveals. Do all that and you’ll see, at its heart, Teacup is still very much standing on the shoulders of Stinger. Just as it should.
 
A NOTE FROM JAMES WAN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)
After reading Robert McCammon's book Stinger, the entire team at Atomic Monster felt a spark. The story had all the ingredients for a captivating series and Ian McCulloch had a vision to bring it to life in a fresh way that was both startling and darkly atmospheric, but filled with a rich sense of humanity — often lacking in edgy narratives. Add in our incredibly talented cast led by Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Speedman and Chaske Spencer and fans are in for a true edge-of-your-seat experience.
 
Teacup defies easy labels. It's a genre-bending blend of horror, mystery, and drama, with layers that unfold like a captivating puzzle. It goes beyond chills and thrills and holds up a mirror to humanity, exploring the darkness that resides within us all. We hope you enjoy this wild ride as much as we've loved creating it!

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SDCC ‘Teacup’ Panel

First Look Photos and Key Art

Teaser Trailer