Deadline brings word that AMC officially orders to series adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire over a year following the company’s acquisition to the rights of Rice’s book series The Vampire Chronicles and The Lives of the Mayfair Witches. The story was previously adapted into a 1994 film starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, and Antonio Banderas, and was directed by Neil Jordan from a screenplay by Rice.
The outlet also reports that the series has been given an eight-episode order and is expected to debut in 2022 on AMC and AMC+. Emmy nominee Rolin Jones (Friday Night Lights, Weeds, Perry Mason) will write, showrun, and executive produce under his overall deal with AMC Studios. Oscar winner Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Rain Man), under his own overall deal with AMC Studios, will also executive produce. Anne Rice and Christopher Rice will serve as non-writing executive producers.
“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,” said 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.”
Johnson will reportedly lead AMC’s plans to develop Rice’s collection for television and streaming. AMC’s acquisition deal of the bestselling author’s works encompasses 18 titles between each book series.