Millions of Anne Rice fans no doubt clasped their jugulars in joy upon hearing that the author will be turning her long-running string of Vampire Chronicles novels into a television series, and now comes word that Paramount TV, along with Anonymous Content, will be producing the show.
Paramount TV President Amy Powell comments, "It is undeniable that Anne Rice has created the paradigm against which all vampire stories are measured. The rich and vast world she has created with The Vampire Chronicles is unmatched and sophisticated with nineties gothic undertones that will be perfectly suited to captive audiences. The series is full of interesting characters, literary or otherwise."
This show has been preceded by twelve novels, a number of literary spin-offs, and the film adaptations Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) and Queen Of The Damned (2002). There had been a new film in the works from Lionsgate and Imagine Entertainment, but the rights lapsed,returning to the author.
Of the TV version, Rice recently explained, “I want to develop a plan for a series truly based on the Chronicles, not simply a loose adaptation or compression, which the movies made necessary. But open-ended TV where you can take a book like The Vampire Lestat and you can begin with that book and maybe do two whole seasons of the television series just devoted to that book.”
Accompanying the Paramount TV announcement was an additional statement from Rice: "In this unique golden age of television, I couldn't ask for a finer or more passionate team to help bring my beloved vampire hero, Lestat, alive in a series of the highest quality. This is a dream come true, both for me and for Christopher [her son, who serves as writer and executive producer] and the fans who have been asking to see the Brat Prince in this medium for years."
Christopher Rice also issued a statement, noting, “The first great day for me on this project was when my mother asked me to partner with her on it. The second, is the announcement of this thrilling partnership with Paramount Television and Anonymous Content. For decades now, fans of The Vampire Chronicles have been clamoring for a long-form television adaptation of this galaxy of content.”
Our fangs are all a tingle at the thought of it.