Anne Rice’s ‘Vampire Chronicles’ in the Works as TV Series …

Lestat is coming to television. Paramount TV and Anonymous Content have optioned the rights to 11 of Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles books for adaptation, the companies announced Friday.

It is undeniable that Anne Rice has created the paradigm against which all vampire stories are measured. The rich and vast world she has created with The Vampire Chronicles is unmatched and sophisticated with 90s gothic undertones that will be perfectly suited to captivate audiences, said Amy Powell, President, Paramount TV, in a statement. The series is full of compelling characters led by Lestat, arguably one of the greatest original characters, literary or otherwise. We are thrilled to collaborate with Anne, Christopher and the team at Anonymous Content on this epic series.

Also Read: Anne Rice Adapting 'Vampire Chronicles' as TV Series

Annes son Christopher Rice will write the series and serve as executive producer alongside his mother, and Anonymous Contents David Kanter and Steve Golin.

Rices first novel Interview with the Vampire was published in 1979 and was turned into the most famous Vampire Chronicles film, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, with Cruise playing the vampire Lestat.

The film rights to Rices novels were previously set up at Universal and Imagine Entertainment, but the rights lapsed and Rice decided to develop them for TV last year.

Im thrilled beyond words to be working with Paramount TV and Anonymous Content known for extraordinary cutting edge series such as True Detective, Quarry, and The Knick,' said Rice. In this unique golden age of television, I couldnt ask for a finer or more passionate team to help bring my beloved vampire hero, Lestat, alive in a series of the highest quality. This is a dream come true, both for me and for Christopher and for the fans who have been asking to see the Brat Prince in this medium for years.

Also Read: Anne Rice's Steamy 'Sleeping Beauty' Novels Being Adapted for TV by Televisa USA

The author previously revealed the series will begin with the story told in The Vampire Lestat and be an entirely open-ended story that could span multiple seasons.

"Queen of the Damned" made waves when it was released in 2002 -- not because it was critically-acclaimed, but rather because it was the beloved R&B singer Aaliyah's last on-screen performance. On the movie's 15th anniversary, here are 10things you probably didn't know about Aaliyah and thefeature film that was released six months afterher death following a small plane crash in August 2001.

TheWrap has teamed up with IMDb to share these little known facts. Go to IMDb.com for more trivia, goofs and quotes from the fantasy-horror film.

The R&B singer said it was fun to play the role of an immoral andmerciless character because she has always loved the dark side."It's fun to just be that mean, evil and see how far you can really go," she said in an ABC interview. "I think everybody has a bit of a fascination with the dark side and I myself have always loved the dark side as well."

One of the director's reasons for casting Aaliyah as an Egyptian queen was because he wanted the character to look like she was actually from the country she was portraying. "There were two factors for casting Aaliyah. I was very keen that Akasha, an Egyptian queen, not look like Elizabeth Taylor," hetold Vibe in reference to the iconicactress' role in "Cleopatra." (Aaliyah was actually African American with Native American heritage.)

Aaliyah finished recording her self-titled album while filming "Queen of the Damned."She would apparently shoot during the day and then record her album in the studio at night. She was shooting a music video for a song from her album in the Bahamas shortly before her death.

The film inspired a real life murderin Scotland.Allan Menzies stabbed his friend 42 times and killed him after claiming that Akasha, the Queen of the Damned, had ordered him to kill. He even drank his friend's blood.

Aaliyah's acting career was just starting to take off before she died at age 22."Queen of the Damned"was her second and last feature film, but she had starred in "Romeo Must Die" before that. She was set to star in "Honey," but the role wentto Jessica Alba after the singer died. Aaliyah was also supposed to have a role in the "Matrix: Reloaded."

Anne Rice, the author of "Queen of the Damned," said she "didn't care for the movie ... at all" and had begged the studio not to make it because her readers would rather see a movie based on Lestat the vampire.

Despite being billed asthe star of "Queen of the Damned," Aaliyah didn't really get much screen time and she doesn't appear until well after the 30-minute mark.

Tom Cruise played Lestat in "Interview With a Vampire" in 1994 and was asked to return to reprise his role in "Queen of the Damned." He apparently declinedthe offer. It was given to Irish actor Stuart Townsend, instead.

Film adaptation of an Anne Rice novel was late singers last on-screen performance

"Queen of the Damned" made waves when it was released in 2002 -- not because it was critically-acclaimed, but rather because it was the beloved R&B singer Aaliyah's last on-screen performance. On the movie's 15th anniversary, here are 10things you probably didn't know about Aaliyah and thefeature film that was released six months afterher death following a small plane crash in August 2001.

TheWrap has teamed up with IMDb to share these little known facts. Go to IMDb.com for more trivia, goofs and quotes from the fantasy-horror film.

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