Anne Rice fought publicly against the casting that would go on to define the film adaptation of her gothic classic, only to change her mind before it even hit theaters. That reversal alone makes this pairing worth a closer look.
The Book
Interview with the Vampire
by Anne Rice
The Film
Interview with the Vampire
Directed by Neil Jordan, 1994
🔀 What Changed
Spoiler warning: this section discusses plot changes, including the ending.
Neil Jordan's screenplay, adapted by Rice herself, trims and restructures several sections of the novel to fit runtime. The framing device with the reporter Malloy is compressed, and some of Louis's decades-spanning wanderings through Europe are shortened or cut. The film also softens some of Louis's internal despair, which dominates long interior passages in the book, in favor of visual atmosphere. The ending largely follows the novel's structure, with Louis finishing his tale and Malloy making his fateful choice, though the film's final beat with a car radio playing a specific song was an addition not in Rice's original text.
🎙️ What the Author Said
Rice publicly opposed Tom Cruise's casting as Lestat, taking out ads and giving interviews criticizing the choice before the film's release. After seeing a screening, she reversed course, telling the press and later writing directly that Cruise's performance had won her over completely and that he had, in her words, become Lestat. She also wrote the screenplay herself, giving her direct creative involvement beyond typical author sign-off.
“"Tom Cruise is Lestat," Rice said after seeing the film.”
One version comes from Rice's own pen twice over, as novelist and screenwriter. Now it's your call which one holds up better.
