14 DAY TRIAL // As “The Twilight Saga” has showed on the silver screen and series like “True Blood” demonstrated on TV, nothing sells better these days than vampire stories. Universal Pictures is paying attention to what fans want to see, which is why it has come up with the idea of returning to Anne Rice’s highly successful “The Vampire Chronicles” with the help of Robert Downey Jr., as BloodyDisgusting can confirm.
Nothing has yet been put on paper and signed, but things seem to be moving into the right direction, the aforementioned source says. It was the first to cover the rumor that Downey Jr. was in talks for the part of the vampire Lestat (previously played so brilliantly by Tom Cruise and mildly dully by Stuart Townsend), and it has just become the first to confirm it too: the “Iron Man” star is currently negotiating with Universal Pictures to star in the reboot.
“Bloody Disgusting has learned exclusively that Universal Pictures is looking to restart Anne Rice’s ‘The Vampire Chronicles,’ which tells the tale of the vampire Lestat Du Lioncort (through his narration), a nobleman-turned-vampire in the late 18th century. No word yet on how they plan on unrolling this franchise, but we did find out who they are talking with to replace Tom Cruise and Stuart Townsend. […] We have confirmed this afternoon that Robert Downey Jr. is in close talks to play the vampire Lestat in Universal Pictures’ ‘The Vampire Chronicles,’ a newly rebooted franchise based on Anne Rice's popular novels.” BloodyDisgusting writes.
Anne Rice’s series of novels comprises no less than ten books, the same source says, of which only two were made into film, also by Universal: “Interview with the Vampire” and “Queen of the Damned.” The first, as fans remember, is still seen as one of the best vampire movies ever made, while the latter was much ridiculed and derided in the media upon release, despite the hype it got prior to that. Whether Universal is now thinking of returning to “Interview” and remake it, so as to get a fresh start with the franchise, is yet to be determined.
If Downey Jr. becomes attached to “The Vampire Chronicles,” it would come as a sign that he is back again in the good graces of the public and critics, with no intention of leaving anytime soon. Other franchises that the actor has helped bring back to life are, so far, “Iron Man” and “Sherlock Holmes.”