AMC options Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, Mayfair Witches

AMC Networks Options Classic Anne Rice Vampire and Witch Properties

Anne Rice’s iconic stable of characters have been optioned by AMC Networks. The rights to The Vampire Chronicles and The Lives of the Mayfair Witches, two series that span a total of 18 novels, are now part of the AMC Networks family.

AMC’s deal includes popular titles including Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat and The Witching Hour. This news represents a longtime dream for writer Anne Rice, who has long been looking for a home for her substantial catalog of work: “It’s always been my dream to see the worlds of my two biggest series united under a single roof so that filmmakers could explore the expansive and interconnected universe of my vampires and witches. That dream is now a reality, and the result is one of the most significant and thrilling deals of my long career.”

Rice and her son Christopher will serve as executive producers on all projects. Rolin Jones has been tapped to develop various projects. Jones recently signed a development deal with AMC and is known for his work on Friday Night Lights, Weeds and The Exorcist.

Christopher Rice strongly believes that AMC is the perfect home for his mother’s characters:

"AMC Studios is responsible for creating some of the most iconic television series of the modern era and has, at times, single-handedly defined this era we call ‘peak TV.’ All the members of Team Anne, including my long-term producing partner, New York Times Bestselling novelist Eric Shaw Quinn, are both thrilled and comforted to know that some of our most cherished kin, from the vampire Lestat and the witch Rowan Mayfair, to the paranormal investigators at the Order of the Talamasca and the powerful spirit Lasher, are now safely in the hands of these vastly accomplished innovators who possess both global reach and deep reservoirs of experience."

With so much content to work with, the possibilities for original movies, limited series and ongoing series are endless. AMC has been working to obtain independently owned intellectual property to develop. The Walking Dead is a great example of how a single IP can spin into a vast franchise, and there is no question that The Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches could grow into vast television franchises as well.

AMC’s Shudder and Sundance NOW are already the home to Sky’s adaptation of Deborah Harkness’ A Discovery of Witches. The series, currently in production on its second season, follows the story of witch Diana Bishop and vampire Matthew Clairmont as they navigate the complexities of a shared secret world of witches, vampires and daemons that live among unsuspecting humans.

The addition of Anne Rice’s stable of characters within The Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches fit within AMC Networks’ current programming that includes The Walking Dead, NOS4A2 and Creepshow. AMC has carved out a niche for itself, bringing horror and paranormal stories to primetime and establishing itself as a purveyor of some of the best horror-based drama on television.

Have you read The Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches? Which stories are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments!