Anne Rice Chimes in on Robert Downey, Jr., as Lestat Debate
August 17th, 2009
Since she's never been one to shy away from interacting with and directly communicating with her fans, it was only a matter of time before Anne Rice addressed the rumors swirling around a new adaptation of her Vampire Chronicles and particularly the potential casting of Robert Downey, Jr., as Lestat.
On her Facebook page Rice has numerous comments to the many questions posed by her fans, including one by yours truly:
And just a few minutes ago as we were prepping this story, she added: One thing I realized: because I don't write about him [Lestat] anymore, I'm free now to really enjoy what happens with him and the movies. And I am already sort of enjoying the possibilities.
So there you have it straight from Anne herself. Even better, she responded to an inquiry about whether or not we might ever see the Mayfair Witches on the big screen:
As for what Rice is up to these days aside from rediscovering religion, she's developing a new series called Songs of the Seraphim. The first of these "metaphysical thrillers about angels and assassins", Angel Time, will be coming in October 2009. The second has already been written and the third is under way.
The novel opens in the present. At its center is Toby O’Dare—a contract killer of underground fame on assignment to kill once again. A soulless soul, a dead man walking, he lives under a series of aliases such as Lucky the Fox and takes his orders from “The Right Man.” Into O’Dare’s nightmarish world of lone and lethal missions comes a mysterious stranger, a seraph, who offers him a chance to save rather than destroy lives. O’Dare, who long ago dreamt of being a priest but instead came to embody danger and violence, seizes his chance. Now he is carried back through the ages to 13th Century England, to dark realms where accusations of ritual murder have been made against Jews, where children suddenly die or disappear . . . In this primitive setting, O’Dare begins his perilous quest for salvation, a journey of danger and flight, loyalty and betrayal, selflessness and love.
In addition, Anne, like so many of us, is hooked on HBO's "True Blood". I guess once a vamp-lover, always a vamp-lover!
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NO NO NO! Ann Rice, absolutly no. Downey is the least best choice. You wrote the books urself! The characters should be just like the originals! Lestat should be young and blonde. Dont get me wrong, Downey is a great actor in Iron Man but horriable to play a vampire.
Interview with a Vampire was great, queen of the damned was all right, so please dont screw this movie up.
Heck, what do you think the vampires (if they were here) from your series would think?
Me and hundreds of my freinds and ppl i know disagree with Downey playing lestat. Please find someone else!
Submitted by Chaotic_Free_Mind on Fri, 10/23/2009 - 8:21pm.
Robert Downey Jr is I think one of the best actor in the world, but I don't think he is suitable to play/act as Lestat de Lioncourt, not that he is not capable of bringing the character to life, I'm sure he can act as Lestat, its just that physically he can't be Lestat..one person that I think can be Lestat is TAYLOR KITSCH from Friday Night Lights and Wolverine Origin (Gambit)…all they need to do is to make him blonde and give him blue lenses for his eyes...
Submitted by Vampire Nizam on Mon, 08/24/2009 - 1:27am.
Snakey1- Tom Cruise played Lestat, he is so short he's almost miniature, and he has dark hair. Those are two things that can be easily fixed for/in filming.
Submitted by BabyFirefly on Wed, 08/19/2009 - 2:32pm.
Hasnt she learned how important casting is from the past movies made on her books? Lestat is in his 20's, long curly blonde hair, blue eyes and beautiful. It's why he was so striking even before he was turned, he charmed people first with his physical appeal. Downey is a good actor, but is in his 40's, Dark, Short and is not right for the role.
Submitted by snakey1 on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 10:59pm.
Could he be less appropriate than Antonio Banderas? (did he play Lestat? Or did Tom Cruise play Lestat? Man its been a long time since I've seen Interview).
Slightly off topic, but I've been wanting to try on some Anne Rice for a long time, but there seems to be series and sub-series and I'm a little lost. Which book should I start with?
Submitted by krawlingkhaos on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 10:03am.
The first four books of the Chronicles are Interview, Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned, and Tale of the Body Thief. If you go through them in that order and want more, then you can either go to the sub-series (Armand, Pandora, Blood & Gold) or continue on with the main Chronicles - Memnoch, Blackwood Farm, and Blood Canticle. Although for both Blackwood and Blood, it helps if you've read her Mayfair Witches trilogy first.
Submitted by The Woman In Black on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 12:48pm.
Interview it is. Thanks!
Submitted by krawlingkhaos on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 1:24pm.
Cruise played Lestat, Banderas was terribly miscast as Armand.
Submitted by Morgan Elektra on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 12:27pm.
Too true -- I'll take Downey Jr. as Lestat over Banderas as Armand any day. But nothing rankles as much as how the "minds" behind the QotD movie decided to just randomly change Lestat's maker. Their cavalier attitude toward the series' fans in the DVD commentary pissed me off like nothing has before or since.
Submitted by The Woman In Black on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 1:46pm.
Very much looking forward to THE WITCHING HOUR become a film!! But seriously, NO NO NO to Downey Jr. as LESTAT!!
Submitted by AriesofPitt on Mon, 08/17/2009 - 8:45pm.
Hey, I'm with you. Anne always said Lestat was based on a young Rutger Hauer. Downey Jr. is a lot of things, but Rutger Hauer he is not! lol
Submitted by The Woman In Black on Mon, 08/17/2009 - 8:53pm.