Interview with the Vampire is one of the most popular and beloved vampire movies, and though there was material for a sequel, Tom Cruise was right in not returning and thus stalling a sequel – but, at the same time, he doomed the franchise. Vampires are some of the most popular creatures in horror, and they continue to be a source of inspiration for many artists. In literature, one of the most successful writers in the vampire genre is Anne Rice, who, in 1976, brought the novel Interview with the Vampire.
Interview with the Vampire got a film adaptation in 1994, starring Brad Pitt as Louis and Tom Cruise as Lestat. While depressed about the death of his family, Louis is targeted by the vampire Lestat and turned into a vampire and his companion. Struggling to adapt to his new condition, Louis feeds on a little girl named Claudia (Kirsten Dunst), who Lestat turns into Louis’ companion, and he quickly bonds with her. Interview with the Vampire was a critical and commercial success, enough to grant it a sequel, but Tom Cruise was right in not wanting to return for it.
Tom Cruise Not Wanting To Make Sequels Stopped Interview With The Vampire 2 From Happening
Ironically, Tom Cruise Ended Up Making Many Sequels Years Later
Interview with the Vampire grossed $223.7 million against a budget of $60 million, and though the changes it made to the book were criticized, it was well-received by critics, who praised its production design, special effects, and the performances of Dunst and Cruise. This would have been enough for it to get a sequel, and though director Neil Jordan began working on an adaptation of the sequel novel, The Vampire Lestat, the project never materialized.
Jordan admits that Lestat in the sequel novel is very different from the one in Interview with the Vampire , but added that Cruise refused because he wasn’t doing sequels at the time.
Speaking to Variety in November 2024 to celebrate the movie’s 30th anniversary, Neil Jordan shared he wrote a script for The Vampire Lestat, but the sequel never happened because Tom Cruise didn’t want to play Lestat again. Jordan admits that Lestat in the sequel novel is very different from the one in Interview with the Vampire, but added that Cruise refused because he wasn’t doing sequels at the time. Ironically, Cruise now does sequels, mostly those in the Mission: Impossible franchise.
Leaving Cruise’s “no sequels” reasoning aside, he made the right decision in not returning for a sequel to Interview with the Vampire. Although there was skepticism around Cruise’s casting as Lestat, he ended up being one of the strengths of the movie, perfectly embodying the charm and seductive personality of Lestat, as well as how dangerous he was.
Interview with the Vampire is perfect as is, and leaving Lestat’s ending open works a lot better than catching up with him in a sequel that, as Jordan said, sees a completely different Lestat that might not have had the same success with the audience, despite Cruise’s impeccable performance in the first movie.
Interview With The Vampire Got A Standalone Sequel 8 Years Later (& It Failed)
Queen of the Damned Was Nothing Like Interview With The Vampire
Interview with the Vampire didn’t get the sequel it was supposed to, but it did get a standalone sequel eight years later with Queen of the Damned. Directed by Michael Rymer, Queen of the Damned was based on the 1988 novel of the same name, the third in the book series The Vampire Chronicles, but it also used elements from The Vampire Lestat. Queen of the Damned follows Lestat (now played by Stuart Townsend), who awakens from his slumber and becomes a rock star.
Rice herself urged her fans to forget about this movie, adding that it hurt to see her work “mutilated”.
Unbeknownst to him, Lestat’s music awakens the vampire queen Akasha (Aaliyah), who will not rest until she makes Lestat her king. Queen of the Damned was a critical and commercial failure, with critics calling it “goofy”, “campy”, “messy”, and even “damned”, and Rice herself urged her fans to forget about this movie, adding that it hurt to see her work “mutilated”.
The Interview With The Vampire Franchise Was Saved In 2022 With A TV Series
Interview With The Vampire Is Now Having A Lot Of Success
After the failure of Queen of the Damned, no other movies based on the books from Rice’s Vampire Chronicles have been made, but the franchise came back to life in 2022 on TV. Interview with the Vampire got a TV adaptation with Sam Reid as Lestat and Jacob Anderson as Louis, and since its premiere on AMC in 2022, it has been a success. The first two seasons covered the events of the title novel, and the third season is expected to cover The Vampire Lestat.
The Interview with the Vampire TV series is the first in the shared universe of Rice’s novels titled Immortal Universe, and it was followed by Mayfair Witches, with the third series, Talamasca, releasing in 2025. Tom Cruise refusing to return for a sequel to Interview with the Vampire was the best decision for the movie and his version of Lestat, and though that doomed the franchise for a while and made way for Queen of the Damned, the franchise is now back on the right track.