Whether most of today’s teens have ever heard of Christopher Pike is definitely up for debate; and no, he isn’t the old captain from Star Trek; his real name is actually Kevin McFadden. Think of R.L. Stine’s novels for older teens. Or if you’re really into teen horror and suspense, maybe you’ll remember Lois Duncan, yet another popular writer of 70’s and 80’s teen/young adult suspense and thriller novels, whose work was adapted into a major Hollywood film. I Know What You Did Last Summer was loosely based on her 1973 novel by the same name. Christopher Pike, unlike R.L. Stine and Lois Duncan, never had work adapted to film, much to the disappoint of millions of fans.
But that’s all about to change, mainly because of the huge vampire craze. Decades before there was Twilight, filled with sparkling, vegetarian vampires, there was Sita, the 5,000 year old vampire protagonist of Pike’s ‘The Last Vampire’ series. Sita is a vampire made in her teens, -of course. And after 5,000 years of being alive, and she believes she’s the last vampire on earth, her adventures only truly begin once her own creator begins hunting for her.
FilmNation Entertainment recently acquired the rights to the series of novels, seven total, and plans to adapt the story into a film, or series of films. FilmNation’s president of production, Aaron Ryder, states the company’s excitement and anticipation in “the opportunity to bring to life one of the best characters of young adult fiction.” The novels are being re-released in three anthologies, and the seventh novel was only recently added to the storyline. Christopher Pike’s re-released series can be found in volumes Thirst No. 1, Thirst No. 2, and there will presumably be a third that contains the seventh novel, which is to be released this year.
