9 August, 2000

Queen of the Damned

Singer Aaliyah is currently scheduled to head for Australia in September to begin shooting the movie adaptation of Anne Rice's novel Queen of the Damned. Michael Rymer will be directing the sequel to Interview With the Vampire, which will combine elements of Rice's second vampire novel The Vampire Lestat with Queen of the Damned, the third book in the series.

Aaliyah talked with MTV Radio about the project. "I'm trying to finish it [her next album] before I go to Australia, actually in October and September, to start work and shoot the next film for Warner Bros., which is 'Queen Of The Damned.' It's a go, so I'll start shooting soon.

"I play Akasha," Aaliyah continued, "who is the Queen and the first, original vampire. That's me. It's a good part. I've been working with my coach. I work with him all the time, and I've been working extra hard to prepare for this and get comfortable with what she's all about so I can do it the right way."

Asked how she was preparing for the role she points out she won't go to extremes. "I'm a night person, so I guess you could say I kind of have [the part] in me, anyway. I'm a bit of a vampire for real. I like the dark, I like the night, so I really don't have to take it to [the extreme of] sleeping in coffins. Other than that, I'm just preparing for it the normal way. It's a fun role, 'cause I've always loved vampires since I was a little girl, so the chance to get to be one is amazing."

Ironically, she hasn't yet read the book. "Actually, I had read 'The Vampire Lestat' [before auditioning]," Aaliyah said. "I hadn't gotten to 'Queen Of The Damned,' which is the third book in the Anne Rice series in [The Vampire] Chronicles, so I actually have the book, and I'm reading 'Queen Of The Damned' now that the movie's happening."