Bloody Disgusting brings word that writer Christopher Rice took to Facebook to announce that Nashville executive producer Dee Johnson has officially signed on as the showrunner for Hulu’s upcoming series adaptation of Anne Rice’s iconic novel series The Vampire Chronicles. Last year, it was reported that the streaming service has successfully won the TV rights for the series against other competing outlets.
“Today, I’m thrilled to tell you that after an exhaustive search, we’ve joined forces with the perfect showrunner, a woman of vast experience and impeccable professionalism who brings with her a deep respect for the material,” Rice said. “Say hello to Dee Johnson. Dee is a wildly talented and versatile writer/producer whose credits range from critically acclaimed dramas like BOSS, to network hits like NASHVILLE, to the world-building, science-fiction odyssey, MARS. An openly gay woman of color, during her extensive years on name brand shows like E.R. and THE GOOD WIFE, Dee championed the representation of minority characters, marrying diversity to smart and compelling drama and delivering it to millions of homes around the world.”
“To The Vampire Chronicles, she brings with her a deep love of the material, a sterling reputation for professionalism and vast reservoirs of experience in all aspects of the television industry, ranging from creating worlds through green-screen to finding the perfect mix of elements needed to execute the complex visions of creators from other fields….In our first meetings with Dee, she spoke with moving eloquence and clarity about the characters and relationships that define this series, their outsider perspectives and their moral dilemmas – all the elements that make The Vampire Chronicles a probing exploration of cosmic and spiritual questions perfectly suited for adaptation in the era of peak T.V.Character and texture – those are the hallmarks of her creative approach as we chart Lestat’s origin story.”
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Paramount Television and Anonymous Content optioned the rights to the 11 books from the acclaimed series last year and have been developing the series with creator Anne Rice and her son, Christopher Rice. Both Anne and Christopher Rice will serve as executive producers to the new Hulu series with David Kanter and Steve Golin of Anonymous Content. No official time table for its premiere has been announced.
The rights to the vampire series were first picked up by Universal Studios and Imagine Entertainment with the studio trying to start a film franchise with a remake of the first book, Interview with a Vampire, and tapping Josh Boone (New Mutants) to direct. Unfortunately, the series was stuck in production limbo and the rights reverted back to Anne Rice. Rice and her son Christopher then decided to bring the series to television.
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Anne Rice’s novels have previously been adapted into movies with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst starring in the 1994 film Interview with the Vampire, and the 2002 movie Queen of the Damned, featuring Aaliyah and Stuart Townsend.
