I am home now again, having been to Hollywood to appear on "Politically Incorrect "( I loved it!) and to do some work on the "Ellen" show which will air on October 30th. It was powerfully exciting. But California is not the place for me. My world is here in the south. I feel more akin to Elvis and Graceland than I do to Seattle grunge or Linda Ronstadt or Steven Spielberg.
Regarding Mel Gibson: As I recently told you, I hold "Braveheart" to be one of the finest and most profound movies I've recently seen. And I did make a very great attempt to reach Mel Gibson personally to ask him to direct "The Witching Hour". I was not successful. Through those close to him, he reportedly declined to direct "The Witching Hour" but was most gentle about it and most tactful. He has just begun a new picture, I think. I did not press to see him once I received the formal and polite and gentle rejection. I still believe he is one of the greatest and most daring directors we have and that "Braveheart" will influence films forever.
But surely some one will come along one of these days who wants to do the Vampire and Witch movies. For now, I have other things to do. My scripts are out there. Warner Brothers owns the rights to most of my books. That Jim Cameron is actively developing "The Mummy" is tremendously exciting to me. I'm really glad he's not at Warner Brothers.
Regarding Azriel's future: one of the reasons I will not sell the theatrical motion picture or television rights to Azriel, or "The Servant Of The Bones," is that I do know now I will write more books about Azriel. And I will never tie up one of my heroes again with a movie studio that might bury as many as four novels of mine, as Warners has done with the Lestat books. There is no need for such a thing.
Good things will happen. There are those for whom I would do almost anything- - Gary Oldman, Tom Berenger, Jeremy Irons, Oliver Stone, Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Harvey Keitel, Martin Scorsese... Something is bound to turn up.
Over and out on the night of September 30th. New Orleans has never been more beautiful. I think of almost nothing but work and sleep and God. New Orleans is the perfect place for it. I talk out loud all the time to the dead -- my mother, father, others. Everything is okay.
Please keep giving me your responses to "Servant." It takes time for each book to find its audience. When I went through Oklahoma, I was amazed how many people mentioned "Cry To Heaven."
Lights out.
--Anne Rice
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