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June 24 (UPI) -- AMC Networks announced Thursday it has acquired the rights to 18 of author Anne Rice's books. The network greenlit a series based on Interview with the Vampire, to premiere in 2022. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul producer Mark Johnson is developing an Anne Rice universe for AMC network and AMC+ streaming service. Perry Mason co-creator Rolin Jones is creating and showrunning the Interview adaptation.
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Anne Rice and her son, Christopher Rice, are executive producers of the Interview series. AMC's press release says they will not be writers on the series.
Interview with the Vampire tells the story of vampire Louis, recounting his life with vampire Lestat to a modern-day human. It was adapted as a movie in 1994 starring Tom Cruise as Lestat and Brad Pitt as Louis.
Other books in Rice's vampire series under AMC's deal include The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch the Devil, The Vampire Armand, Pandora, Vittorio the Vampire, Blood and Gold, Prince Lestat and the Realms of the Atlantis Island, and Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat.
A 2002 Queen of the Damned movie starred Stuart Townsend as Lestat and Aaliyah as Queen Akasha.
AMC also acquired Rice's Mayfair Witch series, which includes The Witching Hour, Lasher and Taltos. Three books including both witches and vampires -- Merrick, Blackwood Farm and Blood Canticle -- are also part of AMC's deal.
