Universal Nabs "The Vampire Chronicles" Film Rights

The news first bubbled up 2 and a half years ago now Universal and Imagine Entertainment have acquired the rights to author Anne Rice best-selling series "The Vampire Chronicles" novel series says Variety.

The deal includes all eleven of the novels in Rice’s series: "Interview with the Vampire," "The Vampire Lestat," "The Queen of the Damned," The Tale of the Body Thief" "Memnoch the Devil," "The Vampire Armand," "Merrick," "Blood and Gold" "Blackwood Farm," "Blood Canticle" and this year's "Prince Lestat".

The books center around 18th century French nobleman Lestat de Lioncourt who becomes a vampire.

The character first seen on screen  in Neil Jordan's 1994 adaptation of "Interview With the Vampire" starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst. The second film was the much less well received "Queen of the Damned" in 2002 starring Stuart Townsend and singer Aaliyah who died shortly afterwards.

Alex Kurtzman Roberto Orci ("Transformers") and Brian Grazer will produce.