‘The Vampire Chronicles’ Fancast
In discussions about vampire lore, we often bring up one of the most famous (or infamous, depending on where you stand on them) book series’ of all time—Twilight. The saga, created by Stephenie Meyer, spawned an entire sub-genre of knockoffs and attempts at recreating the formula (very few actually succeeding). However, Twilight could not exist if not for the OG (original gangster) of vampire lore and entertainment—The Vampire Chronicles.
Penned by Anne Rice, the series stars several Queer characters and a few characters of color and is much more adult than its sparkly offshoot. There is sex, blood and gore—something Twilight shied away from. Though Interview With A Vampire and Queen of the Damned were both adapted into decently successful movies, Hollywood still has yet to tap into what made The Vampire Chronicles so successful and potent at the time. Anne Rice is currently set to write a screenplay for a potential TV adaption (which in my opinion, would suit the story/characters much better). Since it’s Halloween, I thought it’d be fun to come up with the cast of this series, based on who I think would do great in the roles.
Ezra Miller as Lestat de Lioncourt
The enigmatic, carefree vampire has never been brought with all his charismatic quality to the big screen. Neither Tom Cruise nor Stewart Townsend, with all due respect to both actors, ever fully captured the raw, sexual energy that the character embodies so wholeheartedly in the book. Not to mention, his Queerness wasn’t portrayed as thoroughly as it could’ve been. Ezra Miller is a Queer actor so he would be able to convey that aspect of Lestat brilliantly. These days Miller is known for his comedic version of the Flash, but if you’ve seen We Need To Talk About Kevin, you know just how talented an actor he is. He would be able to bring gravitas to the dramatic moments, while still imbuing the character with fun and dark energy.
Rami Malek as Louis
Louis is a far more stoic, brooding character than Lestat, and he is an all too familiar archetype in the vampire genre—the handsome man who just can’t get with being a vampire, who hates himself for having to kill people at will. But he’s a very interesting and complex character. From his star-making performance on Mr. Robot, Malek has proven that he can do a great job in serious dramatic roles, and would make a wonderful Louis. Racebending the character would affect his origin—he’s the owner of a plantation in the books—but it’s worth it. Malek would add some more diversity to the project and he’d do a great job in the role.
Dafne Keen as Claudia
From her smash debut performance in Logan, Dafne Keen took the world by storm with her expressive, yet minimalist performance. She was able to convey a myriad of emotions without speaking, and when she did speak it was very effective. I think she’d do a wonderful job playing the child who is frozen forever in a child’s state by vampirism and accompanies Louis and Lestat on their journey. She has that adult wisdom in her eyes, while still being able to easily convey the childlike wonder that the character experiences at first.
Danai Gurira as Akasha
Everyone remembers Aaliyah’s iconic turn as the Queen of the Damned from the film, which cemented the character in the hearts and minds of many. However, the Akasha from the book is much different—more warlike, more efficient, more monstrous. Who better to portray her than the queen of all badassery, Danai Gurira? In combination with her powerhouse performances as Michonne and Okoye, Gurira has a wonderful way of appearing domineering and kickass without ever moving a muscle. She could easily play the Queen of the Damned—and serve looks while doing it. Plus, it would be a lot of fun to see Gurira play the villain for once.
Diego Luna as Santiago
Diego Luna is a wonderful actor, and he deserves more work and roles in Hollywood. Even though Santiago is a tricky role to pull off, I’m confident that with the right direction and writing, Luna can do it. Santiago is a telepathic vampire who performs at the Theatre des Vampires; Louis and Lestat encounter him on their journey. Not much is known about the character, and as I stated, this could be a tricky role to pull off just for that reason. However, someone as charismatic as Diego Luna can make the character his own, and develop him beyond what’s on the page.
Lee Pace as Armand
Though Armand appears 17 years of age in the books, the original film aged him up—which I think it’s a good idea. Due to the romantic nature of the relationship between Lestat and Armand, it may be a little strange to depict them as lovers with a clear age gap between the two. I think Lee Pace would make a wonderful Armand—he would embody the character perfectly, while still adding lots of dimensions and making the role his own. Plus, who doesn’t want to see Lee Pace as a vampire?
Noah Centineo as Daniel Molloy
Fresh off of his swoon-worthy performance in Netflix’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Noah Centineo is getting roles like no tomorrow—and I actually think this is a role, and a character, that would fit him like a glove. In the books, Daniel Molloy is described as a curious, inquisitive boy who always wants to get to the bottom of the story. He’s the young reporter who interviews Louis at the beginning of Interview with a Vampire. Centineo would do a fabulous job being a modern-era journalist.
These are my choices for a film/TV adaptation of The Vampire Chronicles series. What do you think? Let us know down below!
