Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" is rising again on screen, this time for TV.
The bestselling novel, which was adapted for the 1994 Brad Pitt-Tom Cruise film, will be the basis for a new AMC and AMC+ series set for 2022, AMC Networks said Thursday.
The announcement follows the company's 2020 acquisition of 18 works by Rice, including 1976's "Interview with the Vampire," its sequels and the Mayfair Witches series.
Producer Mark Johnson ("Breaking Bad," "Halt and Catch Fire") will be in charge of developing the books as a "streaming and television franchise and universe," according to an AMC release. AMC+ is a subscription streaming service.
In a statement, Johnson called the challenge of adapting Rice's work "both intimidating and exhilarating….I recognize both the responsibility and the obligation we owe the material."
The first series, headed by executive producer Rolin Jones ("Perry Mason"), has been greenlit for eight episodes for season one. Rice and her son, Christopher, are serving as executive producers.
"We know how much this book and the ones that follow mean to their massive fan base," Jones said in a statement. Casting wasn't immediately announced.
In Rice's gothic horror novel, vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac recounts his life to a journalist. The film, which also featured Christian Slater, Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas, received mixed reviews but was a box-office success.
Ubisoft shares jump following reports of Tencent, Guillemot family considering buyout
Shares of Ubisoft jumped more than 30% Friday, following reports that Tencent and the Guillemot family are considering a buyout of the video game maker.
Bloomberg news reported that Tencent and Guillemot family — minority stakeholders in Ubisoft — have been discussing ways to stabilize the company after it lost more than half its market value this year. Shares surged 33.5% to about $15.57 Friday, according to FactSet.
Ubisoft declined to comment. Tencent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
France-based Ubisoft is the publisher behind the well-known franchise "Assassin's Creed." Ubisoft's shares fell last month to their lowest point in more than a decade after its latest title "Star Wars Outlaws" underperformed and the company announced that it would delay the latest "Assassin's Creed" game.
Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft's CEO, said in a statement last week that the company's "second quarter performance fell short of our expectations."
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