With the imminence of “The Vampire Lestat”, this Anne Rice adaptation rises in the free streaming rankings

AMC Interview with the Vampire is about to rise from the grave as The vampire Lestatbut it looks like Anne RiceThe legions of undead fans can’t wait. Interview with the Vampirethe 1994 film that first brought Rice Vampire Chronicles to life, becomes a success in free streaming. It is currently #8 on the Tubi streaming charts.

Interview with the Vampire was a film almost twenty years in the making; Paramount Pictures bought the rights to the book before Rice even published it in 1976, but it sat in development hell for decades, eventually ending up at Warner Bros. Neil Jordanfresh from the success of The crying gamewas hired to carry out, while Tom Cruise was cast in the coveted lead role of Lestat. Rice and her fans have publicly criticized Cruise’s casting; however, upon seeing the film, Rice was delighted with Cruise’s performance and apologized. The role of Daniel Molloy, the journalist who has the titular interview with the vampire, was originally supposed to be played by Phoenix River; after the tragic death of Phoenix, Christian Slater was cast in the role and donated his entire salary to Phoenix’s favorite charities.

What is “Interview with the Vampire” about?

Slater plays Daniel Molloy, a writer who finds a fascinating interview subject: Louis (Brad Pitt), a 200 year old vampire. His story is told in flashback: he was a wealthy and successful plantation owner in 18th-century Louisiana, until he was suddenly widowed. The vulnerable Louis was then attacked by the ancient vampire Lestat (Cruise), who transformed him into his vampire companion. Unlike the hedonistic Lestat, Louis tried to defy his blood-drinking curse; to keep Louis at his side, Lestat made a young daughter, Claudia (a disturbing situation Kirsten Dunst), as a vampire to save her from the ravages of illness. The trio soon form a twisted surrogate family, but Claudia’s resentment over her endless childhood eventually boils over, threatening their immortal lives when they encounter two European vampires, Armand (Antonio Banderas) and Santiago (Stephen Rea).

The film was a substantial box office success, particularly for an R-rated horror film; it grossed $223.7 million on a budget of $60 million. However, a sequel proved difficult to make and ultimately came to fruition in 2002. Queen of the Damnedwhich was rejected by critics and audiences. Rice Vampire Chronicles remained locked in its crypt until AMC adapted Interview with the Vampire for television; it is now expected to return for a third season next year. It also spawned two spinoff series based on Rice’s work: Witches of Mayfair And Talamasca: The Secret Order.

Interview with the Vampire is now streaming for free on Tubi. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.