Exclusives
Anne Rice’s ‘Vampire Chronicles’ Returns, Who is Lestat?!
We’ve been scrambling all week to confirm the following report, especially since it came from a very reliable source and is insanely logical considering the popularity of vampires these days. I guess something good has come from the success of Twilight as 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. Read on for the skinny.
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.
Lestat appears as a major character in both motion picture adaptations of The Vampire Chronicles novels. In Neil Jordan’s 1994 film adaptation of Interview with the Vampire, he is portrayed by Tom Cruise. In the 2002 film adaptation of Queen of the Damned, he is played by Stuart Townsend.
The Vampire Chronicles is a series of novels by Anne Rice that revolves around the fictional character Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman made into a vampire in the 18th century.
From Wiki: The Vampire Chronicles
Interview with the Vampire (1976)
The Vampire Lestat (1985)
The Queen of the Damned (1988)
The Tale of the Body Thief (1992)
Memnoch the Devil (1995)
The Vampire Armand (1998)
Merrick (2000)
Blood and Gold (2001)
Blackwood Farm (2002)
Blood Canticle (2003)
The next shark attack horror movie swimming our way this Summer is The Bay from Brainstorm Media, and Bloody Disgusting is exclusively debuting the official trailer today.
Francesca Eastwood (M.F.A., Clawfoot) stars in The Bay, which will notably feature an animatronic shark that’s been created by SFX and animatronics company Bischoff’s.
In writer/director Phil Volken’s The Bay, “When their tour boat sinks in a shark sanctuary, two best friends must fight for survival to escape the shark-infested waters.”
The film will be opening in theaters and on demand on July 17, 2026.
Watch the official trailer for The Bay down below.
Alexander Wraith, Dani Oliveros, and Ta’imua also star.
Phil Volken said in a statement, “I’ve made several films set on the open sea, and The Bay is the culmination of my experiences to date – with my crack team of regular collaborators, the movie is finely and expertly honed to maximize the combined fears of the ocean, the unknown, sharks and ultimately, just how cold-blooded nature can be – specifically human nature.”
“I’m delighted with the scale and performances we’ve delivered onscreen,” Volken continues. “The Bay’s going to completely immerse and terrify audiences worldwide!”
Phil Volken has indeed carved out a niche directing open sea-based movies over the years, including the thriller Extortion back in 2017 and the horror movie Dead Sea just last year.
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