The Tale of the Body Thief brings Lestat back to cinemas

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE is a sexy movie that drips with Southern Gothic. And that’s all I remember about it really, though I’d say that it’s better than most vampire movies. The cinematic sequel QUEEN OF THE DAMNED was awful though, which is perhaps why none of Anne Rice’s novels involving vampires have been adapted since.  

But that all may be about to change, as Imagine Entertainment (run by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard) has optioned the rights to the fourth novel in Anne Rice’s series about Lestat, with further producing duties to be handled by Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman (STAR TREK, TRANSFORMERS). The adaptation will be done by a newer writer named Lee Paterson, who is behind an unproduced script called SNATCHED that is relatively well-regarded.

Here’s a basic plot summation for you according to The Hollywood Reporter: “The hook of the Body Thief is that the story concerns body-switching. Lestat, depressed and lonely after centuries as a vampire, decides to transfer souls for a day with a psychic, who after the transfer reveals that he has no intention of switching back. Lestat, now in a human body and with the help of some friends, must track down the man and get his body back.”

I must be missing something here, because I was never under the impression that body-switching has ever been much more than a passably engaging plot device.  Anybody out there read the book and have an insight as to what makes it so engrossing? Or is the studio just trying to cash in on the (not at all) smashing success of THE CHANGE-UP?

Aaliyah, i.e. the Queen of the Damned herself: