NEW YORK, NY – March 31, 2009 – IFC tv announced today it has greenlit its first original event telefilm, “Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter,” based on Hamilton’s series of best-selling paranormal fantasy novels and produced by Lionsgate and After Dark Films. Adapted by Glen Morgan ("X-Files," "Final Destination"), who also serves as executive producer, the movie begins production this summer. Mixing mystery, fantasy, and horror, the film will center on the character of Anita Blake, a street-savvy, down-to-earth vampire hunter with a lousy dating life and a penchant for bringing dead people back to life. Blake also works as a police consultant investigating preternatural crimes. Tough, sexy and independent, Blake battles the supernatural as she attempts to solve a variety of paranormal mysteries, come to terms with her own abilities and navigate a complex string of romantic and political relationships which include a master vampire and an Alpha werewolf.

"I'm thrilled to be bringing my characters and world to television for the first time," stated Hamilton. "After Dark Films, Lionsgate and IFC all push the boundaries on film. I push the boundaries on paper. I can't wait to see what we can create together."

Press releases

LKH press release

IFC News - April 3, 2009

The Live Feed - March 31, 2009

Paranormal Romance News - April 2, 2009

ICVT2 - April 2, 2009

Riverfront Times - May 19, 2009 - references the AnitaWiki

The TV Show On IFC is Not Happening

an excerpt from LKH's blog on 11/22/09:

Your regularly scheduled blog is being preempted by breaking news. Ok, its not breaking news since I’ve known for awhile, but the announcement has gone public. I’m a team player and I would have been happy to wait for a group announcement but since that’s not happening here goes.

The Anita Blake TV show on IFC is not happening. Now no wailing and gnashing of teeth about it. In the two years and some change since I sold the rights to my series its been very educational. I know a great deal more about television, movies, and how this branch of the entertainment business works. It has been frustrating watching other shows in the genre I pioneered go on the air while we didn’t, but in the end I believe most things happen for a reason. I would rather have no television show than a bad one.

I learned through this long process that I loved Anita and all the other characters in my world. I’d known that in a vague way, but through meetings and talks and hearing other people’s takes on my world, I began to realize that I really loved them. I say they are my imaginary friends. I take friendship very seriously. I protect my friends, take care of them, and the scariest thing to me is not having the TV show die before it really started, but the thought of watching my friends on the small screen and hating it. That would have killed a little part of me. I didn’t understand how much they meant to me until we ventured out into Hollywoodland. Like I say, its been educational.

Tidbits

Current hype indicates that this will be a series of made for TV movies.

The first to run late summer 2010. No casting information has yet been released.

It has been reported that Glenn Morgan will be in charge of adapting the books.

Glenn will also be an executive producer with Courtney Solomon.

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