Hulu Not Biting for The Vampire Chronicles Series

Hulu not biting for The Vampire Chronicles series

After almost a year of development with Nashville‘s Dee Johnson set as showrunner for the series, Hulu has decided to pass on the upcoming series adaptation of Anne Rice’s classic gothic novel The Vampire Chronicles, according to Deadline.

RELATED: Dee Johnson Set as Showrunner for Hulu’s The Vampire Chronicles Series

The Vampire Chronicles began with 1976’s Interview with the Vampire, which introduced readers to Louis, a French colonial aristocrat in 18th century New Orleans who is turned into an undead bloodsucker by the charismatic and dangerous Lestat. The book’s sequel, 1985’s The Vampire Lestat, made the titular character the main protagonist, and subsequent books largely have centered on his further adventures, which include exploring the origins of vampires; an encounter with Satan; and, in the most recent installment, a trip to Atlantis.

Paramount Television and Anonymous Content optioned the rights to the 11 books from the acclaimed series in 2017 and have been developing the series with creator Anne Rice and her son, Christopher Rice. Both Anne and Christopher Rice were to serve as executive producers to the series with David Kanter and Steve Golin of Anonymous Content, with the streaming service acquiring it in July 2018. The show previously had Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, American Gods) acting as showrunner before he exited and was replaced by Johnson.

The fist novel was previously adapted into the well-received 1994 movie Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles starring Brad Pitt (Ad Astra) as Louis, Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible – Fallout) as Lestat alongside Christian Slater (Mr. Robot), Kirsten Dunst (On Becoming a God in Central Florida), Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory), Thandie Newton (Westworld) and more. A second adaptation of the later novels The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned loosely came in 2002’s Queen of the Damned, which was wildly panned by critics but was a modest box office hit.

The Facebook page for the novel series posted a mysterious reveal a couple of weeks ago written by Rice, her son Chris and novelist Eric Shaw Quinn.

“To all the wonderful, loyal and steadfast supporters of this page and of this show,” the post said. “We realize it’s been some time since we’ve given you an update. Please allow me to assure you that magnificently exciting things are happening behind the scenes and we are dyyyyyyyyyying to talk to you about them. But in this particular moment, we are sworn to secrecy. The minute, and I assure you, the MINUTE, we are free to discuss the latest developments, many of them the most exciting since we began work on this, we will do so, and we will do so here. This page is not dead. Like Lestat, this project will live forever. We know you thirst, and we, Lestat and all the others who share the dark gift shall satisfy that thirst very soon.”

RELATED: NBC Eyes The Last American Vampire for Series Adaptation

The rights to the vampire series were first picked up by Universal Studios and Imagine Entertainment with the studio trying to start a film franchise with a remake of the first book, Interview with a Vampire, and tapping Josh Boone (New Mutants) to direct. Unfortunately, the series was stuck in production limbo and the rights reverted back to Anne Rice. Rice and her son Christopher then decided to bring the series to television.

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