Anne Rice Wants Pride & Prejudice Star to Play Marius In Vampire Chronicles TV Series

The Vampire Diaries may be ending this season, but don't fret! If Anne Rice has anything to say, fans will still be able to get their weekly undead fix. The author recently confirmed she had regained the theatrical rights to her Vampire Chronicles series, and she seems keen on adapting the novels into a gritty television drama. And, now, Rice is teasing who she wants to play Marius when the project gets underway.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the author dished details about which actor she wants to play Marius. "I would absolutely love it if Matthew MacFadyen, the British actor, ever wanted to be part of this and wanted to play Marius," she said.

"Marius is one of the pillars of the Chronicles – 2,000 years old – and I am an absolute, stoned fan of Matthew MacFadyen in Ripper Street and every other show that he's ever done. Talk about quality TV — Ripper Street is just outstanding."

If you are not familiar with Marius or MacFayden, then you have time to catch up. The former is one of the main protagonist of the Vampire Chronicles series. Marius de Romanus was born in 30 BC and was turned into a vampire after being kidnapped by druids. His character is one of the oldest in the franchise, and fans known Marius as a wise and incredibly powerful vampire. He drank the blood of queen Akasha often during his younger years, and the delicacy gifted Marius powers like flight and pyrokinesis. He is also canonically bisexual as Marius has courted both men and women during his long life.

As for MacFayden, the British actor is best-known for his work on BBC's Spook and for playing Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice. The actor is also the star of Ripper Street, a drama based on the brutal murders of Jack the Ripper.

When it comes to a Vampire Chronicles series, Rice has several ideas about how the show should go. The author said a tentative series is in the "planning stage right now," but she knows the series would kick off with the second book, The Vampire Lestat. Rice told Entertainment Weekly that each book would take two seasons, and she hopes to adapt her novels into a cinematic epic a la Game of Thrones.

"TV is in a golden age right now. What's being done in television is some of the greatest film art we've ever seen," she said. "Look what Game of Thrones has achieved. Look at Neil Jordan's The Borgias. Look at The Crown on Netflix. I mean, the production values and the acting right now is just absolutely top quality in TV. And there's much more room, I think, for innovation, originality, surprises, experimentation. It's wide open right now. It couldn't be a better time for any novelist to be adapting a book."

So, what do you think? Would MacFayden be your choice to play Marius? Let us know in the comments below!