When asked how she felt about Robert Downey Jr. taking the role of L'Estat, Anne Rice had this to say:
"I’m delighted to comment. First off, I cannot confirm or deny the rumor. I have not received official word as to the truth of it yet. But I can say without hesitation that I love Robert Downey Jr. and I think he would make a fabulous Vampire Lestat. He is a major actor, a powerhouse of talent, and personality, and he evinces an irrepressible and seductive charm. He would bring great energy and skill to the role. I would love to see this happen. I’ve loved Robert Downey Jr. ever since I saw him in "Restoration" years ago, and I thought he was magical and powerful in Iron Man. —- So I hope the rumors are true [...] I’m thrilled at the prospect that this rumor might be true."
This is big when you consider the fact that Anne Rice rarely says anything about her books being turned into films or who will play the key roles.
When asked why most of her books are not yet movies?
"The rights were controlled by one studio for a very long time; and though there was constant interest, that one studio controlled whether or not something got made. The rights are no longer with that studio. And my agents are working diligently on the new possibilities. —– I have often wondered why so few movies have been made from my work. I think the problem lies in the fact that I wrote rather long series of books. If a studio buys one of a series, that studio wants to tie up the whole series. It is a built in problem. — I can’t complain."
Oh come now Mrs. Rice that sounds like a complaint to me. I would have some negative things to say about a studio that rushed the last one ("The Queen of the Damned") into a movie just so they could still hold the rights. The old quality verses quantity effect. Still if Robert Downey Jr. lands this role it will put the Vampire Chronicles back on the map and in a big way.