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Lili Reinhart Says Hollywood Is “Too Afraid To Make” Her Lesbian Vampire Book Adaptation
Lili Reinhart has revealed that she is attempting to adapt a lesbian vampire novella but is struggling to secure studio backing for the project. The actress has publicly criticised what she perceives as excessive caution within the entertainment industry, calling on studios to greenlight the adaptation in a contemporary climate where such stories should be commercially viable.
The novella in question is speculated to be Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla, originally published in 1872, which tells the story of a young Austrian woman pursued by an eponymous vampire. Reinhart is currently promoting Prime Video's adaptation of The Love Hypothesis, in which she plays PhD student Olive alongside Tom Bateman, and serves as executive producer on the project.
In short
- Reinhart cannot find studio support for lesbian vampire novella adaptation
- Studios criticised as too risk-averse for contemporary era
- Likely adapting 19th-century gothic classic Carmilla
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
LGBTQ+ stories have demonstrated consistent commercial and critical success in recent years, yet studios remain disproportionately hesitant to greenlight such projects, particularly outside established franchises. A sapphic vampire adaptation combines genres with proven appeal—gothic romance, vampire fiction, and queer storytelling—and the reluctance to fund it despite this market potential suggests institutional conservatism rather than genuine business risk. Studios' caution may reflect outdated assumptions about audience receptiveness rather than contemporary market realities.
The case against
Studio greenlight decisions involve numerous factors beyond representation: script quality, budget feasibility, directorial vision, release strategy, and competitive positioning all influence greenlighting independently of content. A project's rejection need not reflect hesitancy about LGBTQ+ stories specifically; studios greenlight diverse projects regularly, suggesting the issue is this particular proposal's specific production calculus rather than categorical fear. The novella's size, budget requirements, cast attachments, and development stage may simply not satisfy the commercial and creative criteria studios apply to all projects.
Explained simply
Lili Reinhart is an American actor who has also taken on producing work. She says she is trying to bring a novella about a romance between women and a vampire to the screen, but has not yet found a studio willing to back it.
The book has not been named; it may be Carmilla, an 1872 novella by Irish writer Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu about a young Austrian woman and a vampire. Reinhart is also promoting a screen adaptation of The Love Hypothesis, a separate romantic story in which she stars.
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