Looking at the popularity of Vampire films these days, one can say that 1994’s Interview with a Vampire was way ahead of its time. Director Neil Jordan gave film-goers a fantastic (if not slightly flawed) look at the world of Anne Rice’s blood sucking children.
Sadly, 2002’s Queen Of The Damned (actually the third book in “The Vampire Chronicles” series) was an abomination of celluloid and killed the franchise like a stake through the heart.
Now with The Twilight Saga coming to a close, Hollywood needs to get new vampire movie’s from somewhere. Why not revisit the Grandmother of Vampire storytellers.
Anne Rice believes she’s found the ideal actor to play her Parisian undead prodigy: Robert Downey Jr.
“That would be wonderful. He is a great actor,” she told New York magazine’s Vulture. “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.”
In case you’re too young to remember or know any better, Tom Cruise played the golden locked child of the night in the first film.
“I think if he had a blond wig and makeup, he would be a wonderful Lestat,” Rice continued. She says there have only been talks about doing a franchise reboot but as of yet, no film plans have been made.
“Lestat has to have the gravitas of a 200-year-old man and Robert Downey Jr. can do it,” Rice said. ” He can do anything. He’s just incredible… But I don’t know whether he’s really interested and I don’t know if that will work out. I hope so.”
Rice has someone in mind for the morally tortured Louis (originally played by Brad Pitt) as well.
“Matt Bomer is a beautiful, beautiful guy,” she said. Bomer star in the USA TV series, White Collar. “He could play Louis.”
Sound Off: I for one would be excited to see “The Vampire Chronicles” get rebooted. While don’t think Interview really needs a remake, it just makes sense with the way the film industry works today. They’d want to start fresh with a new cast locked in place to last the whole series. Queen can definitely be done better and I’ve always wanted to see a film adaptation of “The Vampire Lestat.” Plus with 10 books in the series, Hollywood would have material to last them the next twenty years.
Downey Jr. could certainly has the acting chops and charisma to pull off Lestat, but I think he might look a little goofy in a blond wig. Who would you want to see play Lestat, Louis, Claudia, Armand and all the rest?
Of course, all of this is still in the very preliminary stages. Check back with up as get more information on this ongoing story.
Source: CNN
