I find it interesting that Universal Pictures is focusing on two new monster universes, instead of one. The impact of one failure in Hollywood is the apocalypse, so either one Universal Monster movie failing or the forthcoming adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire doing the same could create shock waves felt through the entire studio. Or, maybe they could be seen as backup for the other?

Whatever the case, Universal is all-in on monsters. While their shared universe is taking over the box office over the next few years, starting with The Mummy, the studio is continuing forth with their latest take on Rice’s Interview With the Vampire.

Josh Boone has just shared a completed screenplay for that he’s co-written with Jill Killington.

Look, here’s proof.

#annerice #vampirechronicles #thevampirelestat A photo posted by Josh Boone (@joshboonemovies) on Apr 22, 2016 at 7:18pm PDT

Now, what’s important here are two things. First, it’s dated April 2016, which means they just turned the draft in. The conclusion to make is that Universal still wants to bring Lestat back to theaters.

The bigger piece of news that most sites have completely missed is that the cover page states: “Based on the novels ‘Interview With the Vampire’ and ‘The Vampire Lestat,'” Yes, the new adaptation combines both stories, which is sort of brilliant considering the lack of character development in “Interview.”

The new movies are being developed as The Vampire Chronicles, and at one time had Robert Downey Jr. targeted as the new Lestat.

It was acquired by Universal Pictures for Brian Grazer and Imagine Entertainment with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci on board to produce.

The 2014 deal included the adapted screenplay for “Tale of the Body Thief”. Other novels in the series include the upcoming “Prince Lestat.”

An earlier version of the story, “Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles,” starred Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in 1994. Rice’s “Queen of the Damned,” also part of “The Vampire Chronicles,” starred Aaliyah and Stuart Townsend in 2002.

Universal has already announced that they are bringing the The Mummy, which stars Tom Cruise, to us in June of 2017 and The Invisible Man, which stars Johnny Depp, in April 2018. But now they’re giving us yet another classic monster tale on February 15th, 2019, with plans for The Wolf Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, and Dracula on the way, too.

Competing monster franchises at one studio? What did we do to deserve this?!