TV
Anne Rice’s “The Vampire Chronicles” TV Series Finds a Showrunner
Back in 2017, Paramount Television and Anonymous Content optioned the rights to 11 books from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series, of course led by the iconic character Lestat de Lioncourt. Rice herself was set to executive produce, with son Christopher Rice serving as writer and exec producer. And last we heard, Hulu was developing the series.
Over on Facebook last week, Christopher Rice provided an update on the project…
“Today, I’m thrilled to tell you that after an exhaustive search, we’ve joined forces with the perfect showrunner, a woman of vast experience and impeccable professionalism who brings with her a deep respect for the material,” Rice wrote. “Say hello to Dee Johnson. Dee is a wildly talented and versatile writer/producer whose credits range from critically acclaimed dramas like BOSS, to network hits like NASHVILLE, to the world-building, science-fiction odyssey, MARS. An openly gay woman of color, during her extensive years on name brand shows like E.R. and THE GOOD WIFE, Dee championed the representation of minority characters, marrying diversity to smart and compelling drama and delivering it to millions of homes around the world.”
He continued, “To The Vampire Chronicles, she brings with her a deep love of the material, a sterling reputation for professionalism and vast reservoirs of experience in all aspects of the television industry, ranging from creating worlds through green-screen to finding the perfect mix of elements needed to execute the complex visions of creators from other fields. In our first meetings with Dee, she spoke with moving eloquence and clarity about the characters and relationships that define this series, their outsider perspectives and their moral dilemmas – all the elements that make The Vampire Chronicles a probing exploration of cosmic and spiritual questions perfectly suited for adaptation in the era of peak T.V. Character and texture – those are the hallmarks of her creative approach as we chart Lestat’s origin story. Exploring the psychological complexity of our vampires, while ensuring the physical production beautifully depicts the elegant and rarefied way in which our vampires see and experience the world. The Vampire Chronicles are blessed to have added such a fine writer, accomplished producer and loyal, steadfast creative partner.”
From what we gather, Season 1 will cover The Vampire Lestat, the second book in Rice’s series.
AMC’s horror series “The Terror” wrapped its third season last month, but plans are already in motion for season four.
Executive producer David W. Zucker has confirmed that “The Terror” Season 4 is moving forward in a new chat with ScreenRant, revealing that they’ve “just closed the deal on the book we’re gonna develop next” for the series.
Which novel they’re adapting remains shrouded in secrecy at this stage, however.
That might not seem like much to go on at this stage, but the second season was an original story. Furthermore, there was a lengthy gap between seasons two and three, causing many to speculate that the third season would be the anthology series’ last. Unlike its first two, Season 3 shifted from airing on AMC to a dual Shudder and AMC+ weekly release plan, with neither streamer revealing viewership numbers.
So not only is this confirmation that the series is moving forward, but it won’t be another six years before we see Season 4.
The first season of the supernatural drama, based on Dan Simmons’ novel and aired in 2018, was set on the frigid decks of a Victorian Era sailing ship following a doomed course, while season two, “The Terror: Infamy,” which premiered in August 2019, centered on a malevolent, shape-shifting force that is locked up with prisoners in a Japanese internment camp.
Season 3, “The Terror: Devil in Silver,” tells the story of Pepper – a working class moving man, who through a combination of bad luck and a bad temper, finds himself wrongfully committed to New Hyde Psychiatric Hospital – an institution filled with the people society would rather forget. There, he must contend with patients who work against him, doctors who harbor grim secrets, and perhaps even the very Devil himself.
Dan Stevens (The Guest, Abigail) stars alongside Judith Light, CCH Pounder, Aasif Mandvi, John Benjamin Hickey, Stephen Root, Michael Aronov, Marin Ireland, Chinaza Uche, Hampton Fluker, Hayward Leach, and Philip Ettinger.
The six-episode new season is based on Victor LaValle’s novel, The Devil in Silver.
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