Tom Cruise’s revitalization of United Artists hasn’t exactly been a success yet. Their first film, Lions for Lambs, came and went from theaters almost completely unnoticed by audiences. They’ll probably do better with Bryan Singer’s upcoming movie Valkyrie, but they could really use a franchise or marquee genre project to make their name. The answer for UA could be vampires.

Blood Disgusting is running an unconfirmed rumor which says Cruise’s United Artists is in negotiations to land the rights to the Anne Rice novel “The Tale of the Body Thief”, fourth book in her “Vampire Chronicles” series. The first book in the series, Interview with the Vampire, was in 1994 made into what to my mind is still the best vampire movies ever made, starring Brad Pitt as Louis and Tom Cruise as the vampire Lestat.

Here’s where this gets really interesting. Lestat is also the star of “The Tale of the Body Thief”. Tom Cruise owns United Artists a company which, right now at least, exists solely to produce Tom Cruise related projects. If United Artists is after this, then there’s a pretty good chance that they’re after it so Cruise can reprise the role of Lestat. Nothing else would make any sense.

It’s all rumor and speculation right now, but getting Cruise back in a pair of fangs could be absolutely huge, and get United Artists the kind of attention they need if they’re going to succeed. Since Interview with the Vampire, other books in the “Chronicles” series have been made into movies, all without Cruise, all done poorly, and all utter failures at the box office. Meanwhile Interview was a critical and box office smash, and in my opinion an instant vampire genre classic. I miss Interview era Cruise, and I’d love to see him back as the tortured vampire Lestat.