Anne Rice’s adaption of Interview With the Vampire is officially moving forward at AMC! The announcement of the series order was made just over a year after Variety exclusively reported that AMC had acquired the rights to Rice’s book series of “The Vampire Chronicles” and “The Lives of the Mayfair Witches.” Out of the acquisition for both book series, Interview With the Vampire is the first series to receive the greenlight for development. No further details have been announced for Rice’s “The Lives of the Mayfair Witches” at this time.
AMC has given the upcoming project an eight episode order with a hopeful debut sometime in 2022. The new series will be premiering only on both AMC and AMC Plus. It is currently unknown when production for the TV series will begin, and no casting announcements have been made as of yet. Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) is taking charge of the development, and is also set as an executive producer. Alongside Johnson, Rolin Jones (Perry Mason, Friday Night Lights) is on board as creator, showrunner, and executive producer. Christopher and Anne Rice will serve as executive producers in a non-writing capacity.
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“This is a day we have been looking forward to since we acquired this legendary Anne Rice collection a little more than a year ago,” a statement made by Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios. “This story already has millions of fans in the U.S. and around the world, we can’t wait to share this new interpretation of the classic brought to life by Rolin and Mark, as we continue to work on developing the entire collection. With ‘The Walking Dead,’ this Anne Rice collection and our majority stake in Agatha Christie Limited through our own Acorn TV, we are proud to have the stewardship of three unique, fan-forward and beloved franchises and universes, which we are only just beginning to explore. We are also thrilled to have Mark, a world class producer we have previously worked with on iconic series like ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘Rectify,’ ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ and ‘Better Call Saul’ on board at the helm of our efforts to develop an entire Anne Rice universe, with significant aspirations for these beloved stories and characters.”
Between the two book series, the acquisition deal encompassed 18 titles. Together the two book series has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. Including the cult classic sequel, “TheQueen of the Damned”. The standalone sequel film was released in 2002, even though Anne Rice herself was not really involved in the development, she had asked her fans to “simply forget” that the sequel exists.
“The challenge of adapting for television the groundbreaking and immensely compelling work of Anne Rice is both intimidating and exhilarating,” Johnson said in a statement about the upcoming project. “Having previously produced films from such singular works, I recognize both the responsibility and the obligation we owe the material. I strongly believe that with AMC and Rolin Jones we are equipped to meet this challenge and to thrill and entertain both the loyal Anne Rice fan and the viewer who is just now discovering her work.”
Jones also added, “In 1973, a grieving mother and extraordinary writer began what would become the finest Vampire novel ever written (all respects to Mr. Stoker). Nearly 50 years later we know what’s expected of us. We know how much this book and the ones that follow mean to their massive fan base. We feel you over our shoulders as we tend the Savage Garden,” he then concluded, “Louis and Lestat are coming out of hiding and we can’t wait to re-unite them with you.”
Based off Anne Rice’s 1976 novel of the same name,Interview With the Vampire was adapted into a film in 1994. The film starred Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in the lead, with Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas, and Stephen Rea, and Kirsten Dunst. The film was written by Anne Rice, and directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game). Interview With the Vampire received Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Original Score, as well as Kristen Dunst being nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film. Upon its release in 1994, Interview With the Vampire had received positive reviews from critics, and had obtained a worldwide gross of $224 million, with an estimated budget of $60 million.
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