In a long, detailed interview with author Anne Rice in NY Magazine’s Vulture Blog, talk eventually turns toward the rumored reboot of THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES, Rice’s series of novels that of course kicked off with 1976’s INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE. Rice chatted it up last summer when rumors sprung up that Robert Downey Jr. was being considered for the juicy role of Lestat (which are still nothing but rumors to this day) and now she’s talking again about the status of the project, her thoughts on Downey Jr. and her personal ideas for the rest of the cast.
On the rumor that Universal will reboot the franchise: “I hope there will be, but I don’t have anything firm to report. A lot of interest, a lot of talk. The rights are all mine; they don’t belong to a studio anymore, they belong to me. It’s been a long struggle, but we have a lot of interest and there’s a lot of talks going on, so we’ll see. I’m hoping. I’m hoping that I will have something to announce soon.”
As for Sherlock Holmes playing Lestat, Rice is as up for it as ever. “That would be wonderful. He is a great actor. He would bring the gravitas and the wit and humor and all of that to the part, and I don’t think he’s too old. I think if he had a blond wig and makeup, he would be a wonderful Lestat. Lestat has to have the gravitas of a 200-year-old man and Robert Downey Jr. can do it. He can do anything. He’s just incredible. That would be wonderful. But I don’t know whether he’s really interested and I don’t know if that will work out. I hope so. I hope the rumors are true.”
Rice isn’t done there though; regarding other casting, Rice drops a few names that appeal to her. She’s quite keen on Matt Bomer (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING, “White Collar”) for Louis (the role Brad Pitt played in the 1994 film); she sees young Max Records (from WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE) as Armand (yes, the role Antonio Banderas originally tackled); finally, British actor Matthew Macfadyen (ROBIN HOOD, “MI-5”) is her dream Marius (who was portrayed by Vincent Perez in QUEEN OF THE DAMNED).
All just talk at this point, but who knows where it might lead? A studio has to purchase the rights first and when that happens, we’ll let you know!
INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE’s Kirsten Dunst