Universal has picked up the adaptation rights to "The Vampire Chronicles," the book series by Anne Rice that inspired the 1994 movie "Interview with the Vampire."
While Warner Bros stopped at just one movie, Universal is aiming high and has acquired the rights to all 10 books in the series so far. The 11th, titled "Prince Lestat," is due for publication this October.
The first novel in the series, "Interview with the Vampire" was a hit with readers, and the story encountered similar success on the silver screen 20 years ago. With Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in the lead roles, the feature followed the adventures of Lestat de Lionscourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac, two French aristocrats who become vampires during the 18th century.
While there is no indication so far on whether the first film in the new franchise will be a reboot of the 1994 movie, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci have already been announced as producers.
The new project could fit in nicely with Universal's plan to create a new universe surrounding its monster franchises as a way to rival Marvel and Disney's superheros. Alex Kurtzman has been tapped to head up the initiative.
After contributing to the studio's rise in the 1930s and 40s, werewolves, Frankenstein's monster, Dracula and similarly terrifying characters are expected to return in new reboots, the first of which will be "The Mummy," due in US theaters on June 24, 2016.
