Sometimes, however, a filmmaker would come along and manage to recognize why a certain idea was trending, with this brave artist then attempting to seamlessly implement these elements into their own work. This is precisely what happened with Full Moon Pictures’ Ted Nicoloau, co-creator of the Subspecies franchise. The director may have ended his initial trilogy of vampire movies with a swan song concerning the demise of old-fashioned horror cinema, but he would return three years later with a bizarre gothic romance set in the same universe but telling a completely different kind of story.

Naturally, I’m referring to the unfairly maligned Vampire Journals, the black sheep of the Subspecies franchise that has more in common with Anne Rice’s particular brand of undead literature than anything we previously saw in the Radu movies. However, despite alienating both fans and critics with this different approach to genre filmmaking, Journals has a lot more up its stylish sleeves than you may initially realize. That’s why I’d like to invite readers to join me once again as we continue our deep dive into the Subspecies series!

As I mentioned in the last retrospective on 1993’s Bloodlust, by that point it was more or less accepted that the antiquated Nosferatu of yesteryear were on their way out. From Tom Cruise’s memorable take on Lestat to Gary Oldman’s Dracula and his understandable seduction of Winona Ryder as Mina Harker to undead sex symbols like Kiefer Sutherland in The Lost Boys, the sexual nature of the vampire was now their greatest weapon when it came to getting butts into seats.

Leaving Radu Behind

With Nicolaou and the folks at Full Moon having already established a forward operating base in Romania after joining forces with the locals to produce the Radu trilogy, producer Charles Band saw no reason to stop making vampire movies just because they’d run out of story. That’s where the idea of a tonally distinct spin-off came from, with Band challenging Nicolaou to helm a sexier and more elegant take on vampires that could appeal to the Anne Rice and Vampire: The Masquerade crowd more than aging genre fans who pined for the golden years of Hammer Horror.

Like previous films in the series, Vampire Journals, which was obviously meant to sound like Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, benefited from plenty of local cooperation as the filmmakers enlisted Romanian actors, music students and even an entire working casino in order to bring their hyperreal re-imagining of Bucharest to life. However, Nicolaou decided to approach the project differently this time around, with the director making use of exaggerated lighting and over-the-top art direction that would make the film look much more blatantly theatrical than its predecessors.

In the finished film, which was released in 1997, we follow the vengeful vampire Zachary (David Gunn) as he embarks on a murderous quest to take down the vampire lord Ash (Jonathon Morris) after he becomes obsessed with Sofia (Kirsten Cerre), an American musician performing in Romania. Along the way, Zachary is forced to navigate the internal politics of Ash’s vampiric household, with his quest unearthing long-concealed grudges among the lord’s treacherous fledglings.

While there is a brief mention of Radu here as Ash’s unseen sire, this new story only barely connects to the main Subspecies franchise. Not only is there no word of the rest of the Vladislav legacy, but even the undead rules have been updated to be more in line with more popular depictions of vampiric lore. Thankfully, most of these changes were made in the interest of telling a larger and more intriguing story with more moving parts.

The Franchise’s Most Visually Ambitious Entry

At times, watching Vampire Journals feels a lot like speed-running a horror-tinged telenovela, with the expanded cast of side-characters, like the diabolical Cassandra, gleefully played by Romanian actress Ilinca Goya, making the undead world feel more alive than ever. While I actually like our stylish new protagonist and his heroic mission even if he’s not particularly good at his job, Jonathon Morris was so perfectly cast as the antagonist that I often found myself rooting for Ash despite his cruel antics.

This is also the best-looking Subspecies film by a wide margin, with Nicolaou and his team expertly combining the architectural beauty of Romania with gothic sets and carefully framed cinematography in ways that harken back to Baroque paintings. Of course, Ted still engages in plenty of Expressionism-inspired shadow-play when it comes to the vampires’ powers, and I appreciate that the film’s romantic elements don’t make it any less violent than previous entries in the franchise.

Vampire Journals may have been made for a very different kind of horror fan when compared to the original Subspecies trilogy, but it’s no less entertaining because of that. Sure, the lack of Radu makes the endeavor less charming (and one wonders why they felt the need to connect these films in the first place), but the gorgeous cinematography and overwhelmingly gothic atmosphere still make this a satisfying low-budget alternative to the other classy vampire movies of the 90s.

Besides, knowing that Radu would eventually return for more Subspecies shenanigans makes Vampire Journals feel more like a much-appreciated detour into a completely different style of filmmaking rather than a betrayal of everything that made the series such a hit with fans. That being said, Radu’s inevitable return is a story for another time, so suffice to say that this underrated spin-off is still worth a watch nearly thirty years later – so long as you can avoid comparing it to its scarier predecessors.

The post ‘Vampire Journals’ Revisited: The Black Sheep ‘Subspecies’ Spinoff That Embraced Gothic Romance appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

You’ll be able to purchase the film Digitally in 4K and also on 4K UHD Blu-ray disc.

Featuring an all-star cast led by Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt and directed by Academy Award winner Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), the newly remastered film will also include new bonus content featuring filmmakers reflecting on the making of the film over 30 years later.

Based on the blockbuster novel of the same name by Anne Rice, the film features an all-star ensemble cast, including Academy Award nominees Antonio Banderas, Stephen Rea, and Kirstin Dunst along with Christian Slater. The film was nominated for Best Original Score and Best Art Direction at the 67th Academy Awards.

Bloody Disgusting is exclusively revealing the brand new physical media artwork down below, along with a sneak peek at a brand new featurette titled “Eternal Night and Deadly Light.”

In the featurette you’ll be able to watch in full on September 22, director Neil Jordan and editor Mick Audsley reveal the approach to the cinematography of Interview with the Vampire with a focus on the gothic romanticism achieved by director of photography Philippe Rousselot.

Bonus Features for the Digital and Physical release include DELETED SCENES that we have NEVER SEEN BEFORE. The full package of Special Features also includes…

· Eternal Night and Deadly Light (New)

Director Neil Jordan and film editor Mick Audsley reveal the approach to the cinematography of Interview with the Vampire with a focus on the gothic romanticism achieved by director of photography Philippe Rousselot.

· Interview with the Vampire: Creating the World (New)

Step inside the darkly beautiful world of Interview with the Vampire with director Neil Jordan and production designer Dante Ferretti as they unveil the art of the detailed sets, the augmented locations and the exquisite costumes of the film.

· Deleted Scenes (New)

· Commentary with director Neil Jordan (Commentary)

· Introduction by Anne Rice, Neil Jordan, and Antonio Banderas

· In the Shadow of the Vampire

· Lestat, Louis and the Vampire Phenomenon

In late 20th-century San Francisco, a 200-year-old vampire tells his story–of desire, love, yearning, grief, terror, ecstasy–to a young reporter, weaving a blood-soaked history of horror.

The post ‘Interview With the Vampire’ Coming to 4K UHD for First Time With Never-Seen Deleted Scenes! [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The news was announced during its Comic-Con International Hall H panel for The Vampire Lestat featuring series executive producers Mark Johnson and Hannah Moscovitch and castmates Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian and Sheila Atim. 

Based on the beloved novel, Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned will be executive produced and showrun by Moscovitch, along with executive producers Johnson and Rolin Jones.

An accomplished writer and playwright, Moscovitch was a writer on the first two seasons of Interview with the Vampire and an executive producer on The Vampire Lestat, for which she specifically wrote the “Akasha” and “Gabriella” characters. 

“In The Vampire Lestat, Mark, Rolin, Hannah and this extraordinary cast delivered an unforgettable season filled with propulsive storytelling that captivated the passionate and engaged fans of this franchise,” said Dan McDermott, Chief Content Officer of AMC Global Media and President of AMC Studios. “We can’t wait to continue the journey with Queen of the Damned, one of the most iconic stories in Anne Rice’s mythology, and watch our established and beloved characters confront Akasha with their world, and ours, very much hanging in the balance.”

The Vampire Lestat stars Sam Reid, Anderson, Zaman, Bogosian, Atim, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle and is executive produced by award-winning producer Johnson, creator, writer and showrunner Jones, Moscovitch, along with Christopher Rice and the late Anne Rice.

In season three,  Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rise, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.

He awakens Akasha (Sheila Atim), the eponymous character of season four. Watch the teaser below.

All hail your new queen.

The post ‘Interview with the Vampire’ Gets Official Season 4 Renewal and Rebrand as ‘Queen of the Damned’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE begins streaming on AMC+ on August 23.

Ahead of its streaming premiere, fans can preview the concert event, featuring original songs from series composer Daniel Hart and performed by Sam Reid, in Hall H at Comic Con International on July 24. 

Our own Daniel Kurland attended the special event, highlighting how electric the Immortal Vampire is on stage: “It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.”

Based on Anne Rice‘s The Vampire Chronicles book series, The Vampire Lestat is the rock and roll-centric third season of AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire” created by showrunner Rolin Jones.

The Vampire Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rises, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.

Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle star with Reid. Executive producers include Jones, Mark Johnson, Hannah Moscovitch, the late Anne Rice, and her son Christopher Rice.

The series finale airs this Sunday, July 19, on AMC and AMC+.

The post ‘The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only Live’ Concert Event to Make Streaming Debut Next Month appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The new season is scheduled to premiere in 2027 on AMC and AMC+.

Adapted from Anne Rice‘s Lives of the Mayfair Witches novel trilogy, the third season  will dive deeper into the mythology of witchcraft, introduce new “spellbound” families, and feature some of the historical happenings of Salem, MA, the infamous town of witch trials and folklore.

The cast includes Alexandra Daddario, Harry Hamlin, Tongayi Chirisa and Alyssa Jirrels, as well as Betsy Brandt, Michiel Huisman, James Frain, Eliza Scanlen and Omar Maskati.

Season 3 is executive produced by award-winning producer Mark Johnson, who oversees the Anne Rice Immortal Universe for AMC Networks, co-showrunners Esta Spalding and Thomas Schnauz, Michelle Ashford and Tom Williams.

“Mayfair Witches” premiered in 2023 as the second series in AMC’s Anne Rice Immortal Universe following “Interview with the Vampire.”  The Anne Rice Immortal Universe also includes the now-canceled “Talamasca: The Secret Order”.

“Power will be tested,” the witchy first teaser warns.

The post Power Gets Tested in ‘Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches’ Season 3 Teaser appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.

The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.

It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.

For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.

It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim. 

Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.

To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.

This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.

For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.

The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?

It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.

Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!

The post ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) adds another single to his growing repertoire with “Butterscotch Bitch.”

“Butterscotch Bitch” follows the Vampire Lestat’s recently released singles “All Fall Down” and “Long Face,” all of which feature original music and lyrics by series composer Daniel Hart (The Green Knight, A Ghost Story) and are performed by Reid. Additionally, a cover version of Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself” was released along with the official trailer.

AMC Global Media and Lakeshore Records released the single on the Vampire Lestat artist profile pages at major digital music services, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

Daniel Hart said, “’Butterscotch Bitch’ is, I hope, the song that feels the most like Lestat, as it’s the song I wrote with the most knowledge of Lestat under my belt to date. And why not end the songwriting with a song that Lestat wrote about himself? He is, after all, The Lestat-iest Lestat that’s ever Lestat-ed.”

Added The Vampire Lestat, “Butterscotch Bitch’ is, I hope, the song that feels the most like Daniel Hart, as it’s the song he wrote on a toilet in between vegan burritos and sessions for his Mother Mary score. May it find a home on Anne Hathaway’s rescue dog grooming playlist.“

Never change, Lestat.

Based on Anne Rice‘s The Vampire Chronicles book series, “The Vampire Lestat” is the rock and roll-centric third season of AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire,” created by showrunner Rolin Jones.

The Vampire Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rise, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.

Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles, and Jennifer Ehle star with Reid.

Executive producers include Jones, Mark Johnson, Hannah Moscovitch, the late Anne Rice, and her son Christopher Rice.

“The Vampire Lestat” will premiere on June 7.

The post ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Sings An Ode to Himself in New Single “Butterscotch Bitch” appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Created by showrunner Rolin Jones, “The Vampire Lestat” is the rock and roll-centric third season of AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire.” And Lestat is headed out on tour.

The Vampire Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rises, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.

Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle star alongside the returning Sam Reid as the title character, the Vampire Lestat.

The Anne Rice Immortal Universe will also continue on AMC with a third season of “Mayfair Witches,” though spinoff series “Talamasca: The Secret Order” has been cancelled.

“Talamasca: The Secret Order” was the third series in AMC’s Anne Rice Immortal Universe, following in the wake of “Interview with the Vampire” and “Mayfair Witches.”

The post ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Official Trailer – A Whole New Interview Begins This June appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The beautiful Hardcover 50th Anniversary Edition features a jacket with foil and embossing, sprayed edges, designed endpapers, a new foreword from Leigh Bardugo, an afterword by Christopher Rice, and never-before-seen bonus pages from the original manuscript.

Knopf previews, “Here are the confessions of a vampire: a hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly sensual story of Louis de Pointe du Lac’s first two hundred years as one of the living dead. We begin on the night when Louis, disaffected and reluctant heir to a Louisiana plantation, is turned into a vampire by Lestat. Radiant, petulant, and powerful, Lestat becomes Louis’ companion and urges him to embrace the hungers and feelings of vampirism: the detachment, the hardened will, the “superior” sensual pleasures. As Louis struggles to retain the last residue of human feeling within him, he discovers must commit the ultimate act: to break away from his creator and discover the new world to which he belongs—whatever the cost.

“This is a story of danger and flight, of loyalty and treachery, of gaining humanity and losing it, and of the extraordinary power of the senses.”

It was back in 1976 that Anne Rice’s classic vampire novel Interview With the Vampire first came onto the scene, introducing the world to Lestat de Lioncourt and launching Rice’s long-running series of The Vampire Chronicles novels. Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise starred in the 1994 movie adaptation, while AMC’s television series brought Lestat back to life beginning in 2022.

Pre-order Interview with the Vampire: 50th Anniversary Edition on Amazon now!

The post ‘Interview with the Vampire’ 50th Anniversary Edition Release Date Set for October appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

With the premiere date comes the opening title sequence, set to a new song by the immortal rockstar titled “All Fall Down.”

Like the previous single “Long Face,” the track is performed by Lestat actor Sam Reid and written by series composer Daniel Hart (The Green Knight, A Ghost Story).

“‘All Fall Down’ marks a time in this vampire band’s life when they were still figuring out exactly what their sound was, and before Lestat himself started to change personas and explore other musical styles,” says Hart. “At the same time, with ‘All Fall Down’, we tried to capture the overall feeling of this new Lestat we get to know better and better throughout the season: more wild, more raw, more self-deprecatingly funny than ever before.”

Created by showrunner Rolin Jones, “The Vampire Lestat” is the rock and roll-centric third season of AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire.”

The Vampire Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rises, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.

Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle star with Reid.

Executive producers include Jones, Mark Johnson, Hannah Moscovitch, Christopher Rice, and the late Anne Rice.

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Based on Anne Rice‘s The Vampire Chronicles book series, “The Vampire Lestat” is the third season of AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire.”

From showrunner Rolin Jones, the rock and roll-centric season is slated for a June premiere, with an exact date to be announced.

The Vampire Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rises, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.

Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle star with Reid.

Executive producers include Jones, Mark Johnson, Hannah Moscovitch, Christopher Rice, and the late Anne Rice.

The Vampire Lestat’s first single, “Long Face,” is streaming now. The song is performed by Reid and written by series composer Daniel Hart (The Green Knight, A Ghost Story).

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“Long Face” is streaming on the newly launched Vampire Lestat artist pages at all major digital music services, with additional songs to be released in the coming months.

Performed by Lestat actor Sam Reid with music and lyrics by series composer Daniel Hart (The Green Knight, A Ghost Story), the song will be featured in the show.

“‘Long Face’ is the first song I wrote for ‘The Vampire Lestat,’ recalls Hart. “We decided early on to make David Bowie a big influence for Lestat’s musical style and persona, and there’s certainly some Ziggy Stardust in this song.

Hart continues, “But we chose Bowie not only for his glam era, but because he was a chameleon. Expect Lestat to change his musical colors throughout the season as well, as he discovers how to remain true to himself, and how to express that truth on stage every night.”

From showrunner Rolin Jones, “The Vampire Lestat” is the third season of AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire,” based on Anne Rice‘s The Vampire Chronicles book series.

In the rock and roll-centric season, the Vampire Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rises, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.

Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle star with Reid.

“The Vampire Lestat” is executive produced by Jones, Mark Johnson, Hannah Moscovitch, Christopher Rice, and the late Anne Rice.

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The third season of the Emmy-nominated drama will premiere in Summer 2026, TV Insider reports. 

The synopsis reads, “Resentful of the perfunctory portrayal in the trashy bestseller Interview with the Vampire, the Vampire Lestat (Sam Reid) sets his story straight in a way only the Vampire Lestat can—by starting a band and going on tour. Gabriella. Nicholas. Magnus. Marius. Those Who Must Be Kept. They join Louis, Armand, Molloy, Sam, Raglan, Fareed, and others we can’t tell you about yet on a sexy pilgrimage across space, time, and trauma. No Auto-Tuning. No Trigger Warnings. All Feels Amplified.“ 

Sheila Atim (The Woman King) has been cast as Akasha in “The Vampire Lestat,“ the character played by Aaliyah in the 2002 movie Queen of the Damned.

Additionally, Noah Reid (Schitt’s Creek), Ryan Kattner (Destroy All Neighbors), Seamus Patterson (Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities), and Sarah Swire (The Boys) have joined the series for the third season, based on Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat novel.

Returning players Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Joseph Potter, Justin Kirk, Chris Geary, and Gopal Divan also star in season three.

Rolin Jones is the creator, writer, and showrunner of AMC’s vampire series.

Seasons one and two of “Interview with the Vampire“ are now streaming on AMC+ and Netflix.

It’s only a matter of time before AMC sinks its fangs into a premiere date, so stay tuned.

The post ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Sets 2026 Premiere Window appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Frain will play Solomon and Scanlen will portray Jessica. Details of their roles are under wraps.

They join returning stars Alexandra Daddario, Harry Hamlin, Tongayi Chirisa, and Alyssa Jirrels, along with new additions Michiel Huisman (“The Haunting of Hill House”) and Betsy Brandt (“Breaking Bad”).

Adapted from Anne Rice‘s Lives of the Mayfair Witches novel trilogy, the third season of “Mayfair Witches” just started production in Vancouver, Canada.

It will dive deeper into the mythology of witchcraft, introduce new ‘spellbound’ families, and feature some of the historical happenings of Salem, MA, the infamous town of witch trials and folklore.

Thomas Schnauz (“Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul”) has joined as co-showrunner alongside Esta Spalding, who co-created the series with Michelle Ashford.

“Mayfair Witches” premiered in 2023 as the second series in AMC’s Anne Rice Immortal Universe following “Interview with the Vampire.” The latest addition, “Talamasca: The Secret Order,” kicked off last week.

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“The power in our world isn’t blood, or fangs, or magic. It’s information.”

An interesting trend has cropped up over the past few years that takes advantage of fandom’s need for never-ending stories. A single series that doesn’t at least speculate on what a sprawling connected universe would look like is tantamount to failure in some cases. Extended lore that can branch off and do its own thing has never been more valuable. There’s an influx of spin-off series that center around the shadowy organizations that fuel these heightened universes, whether it’s a Continental show for John Wick, a Treadstone series from the Bourne franchise, or Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

These spin-offs, at worst, feel like vestigial franchise limbs that merely pollute their IPs. However, there are times when these endeavors actually bear fruit and naturally expand upon their respective universes. AMC has been parading around the whole “Immortal Universe” moniker that’s been anchored to Interview with the Vampire. Talamasca: The Secret Order isn’t the first case of world-building in this domain, but it’s arguably the most important. There’s a lot riding on this series’ success and the viability of AMC’s “Immortal Universe.“ Interview with the Vampire has proven itself one hundred times over, but Mayfair Witches has been considerably more disposable. Audiences have made it clear that they’re along for the ride with Lestat, but do the supernatural swashbuckling adventures of the Order of the Talamasca enough to last several seasons and build upon Interview with the Vampire’s backbone?

The new series tries to connect these disparate Anne Rice dots and do something bigger with all this. The Secret Order’s compulsion to flesh out its grander universe is frequently the most interesting and most infuriating aspect of the series. Thankfully, there’s still more than enough to bite off in Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order so that it feels like a distinct entity — with unique genre sensibilities — and not just the latest piece of AMC’s corporate-driven piece of vampire synergy. 

Season one is an interesting beast that mixes the supernatural with suspenseful espionage. It’s Anne Rice by way of Stieg Larsson as this secret society indulges in cloak-and-dagger drama. There are plenty of moments where this feels reminiscent of Evil or even what a Scanners series would look like. Talamasca is unique from the rest of the Immortal Universe in the sense that it’s not directly based on any specific novels. It has the freedom to creatively riff on the narrative benchmarks that Anne Rice has established, which is not necessarily possible in Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches.

Talamasca: The Secret Order introduces this covert cabal through the fresh eyes of Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton), who is as confounded by the Talamasca as the audience is. Guy takes a minute to click and initially feels a little too much like a Suits character who is caught in an Anne Rice universe. Guy is on the Talamasca’s radar in the first place because of burgeoning psychic powers that he’s still learning how to control. Guy’s ability isn’t exactly handled gracefully, which becomes an early indication that this series lacks Interview with the Vampire’s subtlety. Even just the circumstances that lead to Guy’s indoctrination into the Talamasca’s inner circle feel contrived and mundane, albeit believable. 

Guy is entertaining to watch because he at first feels so out of his depth and like he’s scrambling for air through much of the season. Talamasca does a really solid job at making Guy inscrutable and unclear where his true interests lie. There’s a lot of satisfying tension that comes from Guy’s attempts to play these opposing factions against one another, hoping not to get swallowed whole in the process. These six episodes also subject Guy to toxic relationships that leave him manipulated and deceived, comparable to Interview with the Vampire’s unhealthy bonds. There’s no romantic element to these relationships, but Guy is put through just as emotional a wringer. Family is instead a major connective tissue throughout the series that motivates many of these wounded characters. It’s still a bummer that there’s such a lack of sexual tension between any of these characters.  That’s like 70% of Anne Rice, and it’s sorely missing here, even though the series makes sure that everyone is still very good-looking.

Céline Buckens, Elizabeth McGovern, and Maisie Richardson-Sellers round out the rest of the cast. That being said, it’s William Fichtner’s Jasper and other guest actors like Jason Schwartzman and Justin Kirk that leave the most notable impressions. They all chew up scenery in the best way possible. Kirk is slimy, smarmy fun, while Fichtner’s Jasper becomes genuinely terrifying by the season’s end. He channels a really palpable rage. Immortal freaks aside, there are unfortunately some detective characters who are such dead weight and consistently drag down momentum whenever they’re present.

The inaugural season spends lots of time plotting conspiracies. It also reminds the audience that vampires, along with other creatures that go bump in the night, are real monsters. This series isn’t afraid to get vicious when it needs to, and there are some brutal scenes where the vampires let loose and let the arteries spray. These six episodes also present a grander mystery – the 752 – as the season’s focal point and the reason for Guy’s introduction to all this. The 752 is a massive codex of all the Talamasca’s research since their inception in 752 AD. The 752 will basically decide if the Talamasca continues to amass power in the shadows or if this esteemed group can finally be eliminated.

Control of the 752 is basically control of the world’s whole supernatural narrative, which turns its ownership into a deeper deconstruction of information and censorship. This hits even harder and feels extremely relevant during a time when the preservation of the truth and the toxic manipulation of information are more important than ever. Members of the Talamasca start getting assassinated as the 752 is threatened, all while Guy worries if he’s working with the good guys in this war or if he’s helping malevolent forces strengthen their stranglehold on society. This leads to deeper thematic questions throughout the season regarding whether the world is inherently good or evil, and if it’s possible to rebalance the scales, or if it’s a futile and dangerous effort.

Talamasca: The Secret Order is hitting all its marks by the end of the season. It’s just a little surprising how much the first two episodes struggle. So much of the premiere is bogged down in exposition as Guy debates whether he should join Talamasca or not. This in itself feels pretty artificial because, of course, he’s going to join it. In a season that’s only six episodes long, pacing can be a big problem. Talamasca begins on a laborious note and then stumbles to grab the audience’s attention outside of a few perfunctory action sequences that bookend the premiere. With only six episodes, Talamasca often feels more like a proof of concept or extended prologue than a proper first season. A second season will presumably be much bolder and longer, with more room to experiment and grow. 

As it stands, Talamasca: The Secret Order doesn’t bite off more than it can chew, but it also feels like these six episodes could have accomplished a lot more and justified their existence through bigger swings. Showrunner John Lee Hancock, who primarily comes from film, having written and directed projects like The Alamo, The Blind Side, and the adaptation of the Stephen King novella Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, has a clear point of view on all this. It’s just not as impressive or precise as what Rolin Jones taps into with Interview with the Vampire. 

Talamasca lacks the same juice as Interview with the Vampire. It does, however, frequently trump what’s going on in Mayfair Witches. It’s a series that has so much room to grow, especially now that the heavy lifting of the first season is out of the way and there’s a foundation for this universe that can be built upon. Those who make it through the clunky introduction will likely be in for the long haul. Talamasca: The Secret Order is uniquely positioned to be a pivotal piece of the Immortal Universe’s puzzle with the right planning. These six episodes may seem non-essential, but the series has what it takes to become this franchise’s bloody black sheep. If nothing else, it’s a fine way to pass the time before The Vampire Lestat rewrites everyone’s brain chemistry. 

The first two episodes of “Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order“ premieres October 26 on AMC and AMC+ with weekly episodes to follow.

The post ‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ Delivers Supernatural Spygames, Creatures, Codes & Conspiracies [Review] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We’ve learned that Sheila Atim (The Woman King) has been cast as Akasha in “The Vampire Lestat,” the character played by Aaliyah in 2002 movie Queen of the Damned.

Additionally, Noah Reid (Schitt’s Creek), Ryan Kattner (Destroy All Neighbors), Seamus Patterson (Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities) and Sarah Swire (The Boys) have joined the series for the third season. Deadline reports, “Noah Reid plays Larry, Ryan Kattner plays Salamander, Seamus Patterson is Alex, and Sarah Swire is TC.”

“The Vampire Lestat” will sink its fangs into AMC sometime in 2026.

The third season is based on Anne Rice’s novel The Vampire Lestat. In Season 3, Lestat (Sam Reid) sets his story straight in a way only he can—by starting a band and going on tour.

AMC previews, “Returning in 2026, season three of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire will feature Vampire Lestat headlining as the most immortal rockstar the world has ever seen.”

Rolin Jones is the creator, writer and showrunner of AMC’s vampire series.

The network’s “Immortal Universe” also includes the series “Mayfair Witches,” which recently wrapped its second season. AMC’s “The Talamasca” will also be launching this month.

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“Talamasca: The Secret Order,” which is the third series in the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, will premiere on October 26, 2025 on AMC and AMC+. Watch the new trailer below.

The six-episode inaugural season will focus on the men and women responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, and other creatures scattered around the globe.

“Talamasca: The Secret Order” has been described as a supernatural spy series.

Nicholas Denton stars as Guy Anatole, alongside Celine Buckens, Jason Schwartzman, Elizabeth McGovern, William Fichtner, and Maisie Richardson-Sellers.

John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Mark Lafferty (“Halt and Catch Fire”) are showrunners and executive producers, with John Lee Hancock seated in the director’s chair. 

“Interview with the Vampire“ Season 3, meanwhile, will be arriving in 2026.

The post ‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ Official Trailer – Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe Expands This Halloween appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We’ve also learned that “Talamasca: The Secret Order,” which is the third series in the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, will premiere on October 26, 2025 on AMC and AMC+.

The six-episode inaugural season will focus on the men and women responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, and other creatures scattered around the globe.

“Talamasca: The Secret Order” has been described as a supernatural spy series.

Nicholas Denton stars as Guy Anatole, alongside Celine Buckens, Jason Schwartzman, Elizabeth McGovern, William Fichtner, and Maisie Richardson-Sellers.

John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Mark Lafferty (“Halt and Catch Fire”) are showrunners and executive producers, with John Lee Hancock seated in the director’s chair. 

“Interview with the Vampire“ Season 3, meanwhile, will be arriving in 2026.

The post ‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ Trailer – New Anne Rice Series Premieres Halloween 2025 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The six-episode inaugural season will focus on the men and women responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, and other creatures scattered around the globe.

“Talamasca: The Secret Order” has been described as a supernatural spy series.

Nicholas Denton stars as Guy Anatole, alongside Celine Buckens, Jason Schwartzman, Elizabeth McGovern, William Fichtner, and Maisie Richardson-Sellers.

John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Mark Lafferty (“Halt and Catch Fire”) are showrunners and executive producers, with John Lee Hancock seated in the director’s chair. 

“Interview with the Vampire“ Season 3, meanwhile, will be arriving in 2026.

The post Anne Rice Series ‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ Expands the Immortal Universe This October [Poster] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The six-episode inaugural season is expected to arrive this October and will focus on the men and women responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, and other creatures scattered around the globe.

Franchise executive producer and overseer Mark Johnson reiterated to Deadline that the new series won’t be based on any specific book, as the secret organization is featured across multiple Anne Rice works. “John Lee Hancock, who is a writer I’ve worked with a great deal, has created the world of The Talamasca, all of it inspired by her work but taken a certain amount of liberty, hopefully at the same time always being faithful to what she might have done with the Talamasca had she done a book on them,“ Johnson said.

What’s more intriguing is Johnson’s description of “The Talamasca,“ calling it a “kind of a spy show, almost a John le Carré with elements of the supernatural in it.”

Nicholas Denton stars as “Guy Anatole.  He is brilliant, handsome, and sharp on the surface, but he’s always known that his mind works a little differently. On the cusp of graduating law school, he is approached by a representative of the Talamasca, a secretive agency that monitors and protects us from the supernatural world.  When Guy learns that the Talamasca has been tracking him since his childhood, he falls headlong into a world of secret agents and immortal beings who, up to now, have maintained a fragile balance with the mortal world. But for that balance to hold, and for Guy to survive, he will have to learn to embrace the dark, treacherous depths of his true and singular self.”

Celine Buckens stars as Doris, an old soul who lives with a coven of witches on a houseboat, while Jason Schwartzman portrays Burton, rakish vampire leading a cloistered life in a luxurious Upper West Side penthouse.

Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey, The Wife, Ragtime, Ordinary People), William Fichtner (The Dark Knight, Armageddon, Crash, Mom) and Maisie Richardson-Sellers (Nine Perfect Strangers, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) also star.

John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Mark Lafferty (“Halt and Catch Fire”) will be the showrunners and executive producers, with John Lee Hancock seated in the director’s chair. Mark Johnson, who oversees the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, will also serve as executive producer.

Check out the first look images below.

“The Talamasca: The Secret Order“ joins “Mayfair Witches“ and “Interview with the Vampire,“ but Johnson notes that the Immortal Universe will likely expand even further: “I think we could do four or five.”

The third series is expected to debut in Fall 2025 ahead of “Interview with the Vampire“ Season 3 in 2026.

The post ‘The Talamasca’ – First Look at Upcoming Anne Rice Spinoff Described as Supernatural Spy Series appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Production kicks off this year on Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire” Season 3, and the official poster – which you’ll find below – confirms a 2026 premiere on AMC and AMC+.

The upcoming third season is based on Rice’s novel The Vampire Lestat. In Season 3, Lestat (Sam Reid) sets his story straight in a way only he can—by starting a band and going on tour.

AMC previews, “Returning in 2026, season three of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire will feature Vampire Lestat headlining as the most immortal rockstar the world has ever seen.”

AMC is planning a Season 3 promotional tour including a variety of stops. They tease, “Kicking off later this year, opportunities include first look ‘soundchecks’ of the new season, shoppable co-branded consumer products in a Rock Shop merch store, and in-world integrated content.”

Rolin Jones is the creator, writer and showrunner of AMC’s vampire series.

The network’s “Immortal Universe” also includes the series “Mayfair Witches,” which recently wrapped its second season. AMC’s “The Talamasca” will also be launching soon.

The post ‘Interview with the Vampire’ Season 3 Poster Sets the Stage for 2026 Premiere appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The action is moving to Salem, Massachusetts from New Orleans, where the first two seasons were set.

Emmy winner Thomas Schnauz (“Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul”) is joining the series as co-showrunner with Esta Spalding, who co-created the series with Michelle Ashford.

Based on Rice’s Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy of novels, the show stars Alexandra Daddario, Harry Hamlin, Tongayi Chirisa, and Alyssa Jirrels.

Season 3 will dive deeper into the mythology of witchcraft, introduce new ‘spellbound’ families and feature some of the historical happenings of Salem, the infamous town of witch trials and folklore.

“I am thrilled to welcome Tom Schnauz to our team for the third season of ‘Mayfair Witches,’” said Spalding. “A contemporary twist on the Salem story, it promises to be our most delicious yet.”

“The work I’ve done so far with Esta Spalding on Season 3 has been fantastic and fun and we’re hoping that translates to the screen for fans and new viewers of the show,” Schnauz added.

“The drama and complexities of the Mayfair family continue to be an intriguing and enchanting source of story, and expanding that story against the backdrop of Salem, a historical haven of witchcraft, is an exciting next chapter for this series and our larger Anne Rice Immortal Universe,” said Dan McDermott, President of Entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks.

“Tom Schnauz has a storied history with AMC, and we’re elated to have him join the talented Esta Spalding and our ‘Mayfair’ cast for a season that will explore a larger world of witchery and Mayfair family secrets as we continue to build out this dynamic franchise.”

“Mayfair Witches” premiered in 2023 as the second series in AMC’s Anne Rice Immortal Universe, which launched with “Interview with the Vampire” in 2022 and will continue with “The Talamasca: The Secret Order” this fall.

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So, yes.

Stream the episode below or subscribe via Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , Spotify , RadioPublic , Acast , Google Podcasts , and RSS. New to the Halloweenies ? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, The Evil Dead, Chucky, and Alien!

Next up? Universal Monsters.

You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind , for hilariously irreverent commentaries (eg The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , Gremlins , Jaws ), one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (eg Killer Klowns from Outer Space , Invasion of the Body Snatchers ), and even spinoffs like their recent run Fortune & Glory: An Indiana Jones Podcast .

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The six-episode inaugural season will focus on the men and women responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, and other creatures scattered around the globe.

“Anne Rice’s The Talamasca” is planned for a 2025 debut with production getting underway next month in Manchester, England.

Denton will star as “Guy Anatole.  He is brilliant, handsome, and sharp on the surface, but he’s always known that his mind works a little differently. On the cusp of graduating law school, he is approached by a representative of the Talamasca, a secretive agency that monitors and protects us from the supernatural world.  When Guy learns that the Talamasca has been tracking him since his childhood, he falls headlong into a world of secret agents and immortal beings who, up to now, have maintained a fragile balance with the mortal world. But for that balance to hold, and for Guy to survive, he will have to learn to embrace the dark, treacherous depths of his true and singular self.”

John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Mark Lafferty (“Halt and Catch Fire”) will be the showrunners and executive producers, with John Lee Hancock seated in the director’s chair. Mark Johnson, who oversees the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, will also serve as executive producer.

The series joins “Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire,” which concluded its critically acclaimed second season earlier this year, and “Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches,” returning for a second season in early 2025, in the expanding Anne Rice Immortal Universe on AMC and AMC+. 

With production set to begin soon, expect to hear a lot more about this series soon.

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Ahead of the Season 2 finale on June 30, “Interview with the Vampire” Season 3 has been officially ordered up by AMC. Deadline details, “In Season 3, the Vampire Lestat sets his story straight in a way only he can—by starting a band and going on tour. Gabrielle. Nicholas. Magnus. Marius. Those Who Must Be Kept.”

AMC further teases today, “They join Louis, Armand, Molloy, Sam, Raglan, Fareed and others we can’t tell you about yet on a sexy pilgrimage across space, time and trauma.”

Creator, writer and showrunner Rolin Jones said in a statement this morning, “Thank you to the brilliant casts and crews of the first two seasons that got us to this day. Thank you to the rabid, beautifully unwell fandom that scaled the castle walls to get us to this day.”

Based on Anne Rice’s classic horror novel, “Interview with the Vampire” stars Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Delainey Hayles and Ben Daniels.

The series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s iconic gothic horror novel, initially released in 1976. In it, a two-century-year-old vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac tells his life story and twisted vampire family saga to a reporter. It was the first in a series of novels from Rice.

AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire” is currently finishing up its second season, while the second season of “Mayfair Witches” is on the way soon. Both shows are set within the same universe, and they’ll soon be joined by the aforementioned third series “The Talamasca.”

The post AMC Orders “Interview with the Vampire” Season 3 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Variety reports, “The series follows a secretive society called the Talamasca that’s responsible for tracking and containing witches, vampires, werewolves and other creatures.”

“The Talamasca” will premiere on AMC sometime in 2025. Stay tuned for more.

John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Mark Lafferty (“Halt and Catch Fire”) will be the showrunners and executive producers, with John Lee Hancock seated in the director’s chair.

“This is a story we’ve been developing and wanting to tell from the earliest moments of this franchise, focused on a fascinating and compelling secret society that has already appeared in both of our existing Anne Rice series,” said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment for AMC. “As with all of these shows, we are thrilled to have such a high level of talent involved, represented here by John Lee Hancock and Mark Lafferty, and of course working closely with producer Mark Johnson as the creative head of our Anne Rice Immortal Universe.”

“This all started for me with a call from Mark Johnson, who asked if I’d ever heard of the Talamasca,” said Hancock. “I was intrigued by the idea of an organization that, to me, had more than a passing resemblance to the CIA or MI6, which are necessary but not always necessarily transparent. An organization with its own secrets. Thankfully, Dan McDermott liked the take and so did Mark Lafferty, who is so talented and accomplished in the world of television.”

Hancock’s statement continues this week, “Many thanks to everyone from Gran Via to Mark Lafferty, to our talented writers and everyone at AMC, who have been supporters, advocates and cheerleaders from day one. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be involved and look forward to presenting a third series in the Anne Rice Immortal Universe.”

AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire” is currently airing its second season, while the second season of “Mayfair Witches” is on the way soon. Both shows are set within the same universe.

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Anne Rice is a prolific gothic horror novelist who has eternally changed the shape of vampire fiction. Anne’s literature has flourished for decades, but the film and TV adaptations of her best works have been a mixed bag. Many audiences were ready to dismiss Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire when it first premiered on AMC in 2022, only for it to rise from its grave as one of the year’s best series – horror or otherwise. Interview with the Vampire perfectly captures Rice’s painful pathos that uses the veil of supernatural storytelling and monstrous creatures to explore the human condition. Interview with the Vampire’s second season elevates its moving character development to greater heights and improves upon everything that already worked so well in its debut season. It’s the perfect evolution of this macabre, melancholy love story.

There’s genuine gravitas behind the pomp and circumstance of brutality and bloodbaths that powerfully kick off Interview with the Vampire’s new season. There’s such eloquent and baroque dialogue that’s juxtaposed against grisly, visceral imagery that perfectly captures Anne Rice’s decorated aesthetic. It’s the most important element of Interview with the Vampire and this season absolutely nails it. It’s why this show goes out of the way to call itself Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire rather than simply Interview with the Vampire. 

Interview with the Vampire’s second season immediately grabs the audience by the throat and glamors them into submission. It’s gothic horror that holds itself up to the highest standards of beauty, not unlike Lestat himself. It’s fascinating to see how these episodes very much function as an extension to the first season. It’s the continuation of one big story, rather than simply a second season. These episodes are inextricably tied to the first season’s seven installments and it’d be a futile effort to try to jump in with the show’s second season. There’s something to be said for Interview with the Vampire’s complete disinterest in drawing in new viewers while it instead goes all-in on expanding its rich mythology and character development. 

To this point, Interview with the Vampire’s second season handles Delainey Hawes’ Claudia recasting in an incredibly austere manner that makes this feel like a sophisticated stageplay. Season two’s eight episodes finish off the second-half of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire novel. While it’s unlikely that this will be the end of the series now that AMC is going all-in with their “Immortal Universe,” this would function as an excellent singular adaptation of one of Anne Rice’s most celebrated works if this were to be the series’ end.

There’s an electric energy to Interview with the Vampire’s second season that gets tremendous mileage out of the first season finale’s major revelation that Rashid (Assad Zaman) is actually Armand, a fellow vampire and Louis’ (Jacob Anderson) lover. These vampires’ mind games and toxic relationship dynamics are fully on display, although this time around they don’t purely apply to Lestat (Sam Reid). Interview with the Vampire gleefully indulges in this territory. Its mental manipulation reaches new heights as Louis descends to devastating new lows. Interview with the Vampire’s second season excels when it comes to the depths of Louis’ eternal sadness and struggles. Anyone who felt pangs of sympathy for him in season one will be absolutely gutted in season two. It’s a harrowing ride, but he’s hardly the only wounded fawn. 

This season is thoroughly Louis and Armand’s story, but the narrative gradually morphs into an aberrant love triangle of sorts. Interview with the Vampire’s new episodes provide enlightening and crucial context on how Louis and Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) first met. On that note, the season’s fifth episode is the best hour that Interview with the Vampire has produced and an incredible accomplishment in television. It broke my heart in two and left me weak, drained, and dazed. It’s also shocking how this season’s interviews with Louis and Armand so naturally evolve into a twisted form of couple’s therapy where Daniel plays the role of mediator. It’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, but with vampires. 

Interview with the Vampire is melancholy and tragic, but there’s also such a playful, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor to all this, particularly when it comes to Daniel’s interjections to Louis and Armand’s storytelling. On the opposite end of the spectrum, this season features exceptional effects work – much of which is genuinely disturbing – that continues to expand upon the series’ supernatural universe in rewarding ways. This season’s visual horrors resonate just as strongly as the psychological ones.

Louis and Armand’s tortuous trip down memory lane digs up tales of Old World Vampires during World War II that operates as a macabre microcosm of inhumanity and insolence. The players may change and borders shift, but hatred and prejudice are eternal. In a world that’s full of supernatural threats and vampire hunters, sometimes human indifference and a broken heart can be the greatest danger and deterrent of all. Delainey Hawes absolutely shines as the new Claudia and she handles this role with as much confidence, charm, and pain as Bailey Bass brought to the character. Claudia’s theatrical performance has her repeat the refrain, “I don’t like windows when they’re closed.” Interview with the Vampire reflects the same philosophy through characters who seemingly want limitless options — even if their lots in life are technically restricted in several respects — as they fight for anything and everything that the world has to offer.

This season also spends a considerable amount of time on several characters’ indoctrination into the Parisian Theatre des Vampires. It’s an effective framework for this particular chapter of Louis and Armand’s story. These sequences are so staggeringly beautiful and a stunning distillation of what Interview with the Vampire represents. It’s such a unique breed of horror that could only be found in this series and harkens back to classical genre storytelling like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari or the works of F.W. Murnau or Fritz Lang.

More than anything else, it’s just appreciated that Interview with the Vampire takes the time to indulge in such artistry. Another segment from the same episode feels like the horror stylistic equivalent to Moulin Rouge! and hits all the right notes. This material also becomes a stark representation of being trapped in a role that no longer fits and being resolved to go through the motions while longing for more. It’s a quandary that most vampire stories explore at one point or another, but Interview with the Vampire adds deeper layers to this obstacle. It adeptly taps into the light and darkness that makes vampires what they are.

Interview with the Vampire remains a uniquely special vampire horror story that’s unlike anything else that’s currently on television. It’s thought provoking, timeless, humanizing, and haunting. This season is such a beautiful reflection of what it means to love and truly live — even if the majority of its characters are dead. AMC will hopefully continue to let this interview run for as long as there’s breath in its lungs. It’s a powerful and important counterpoint to the horror genre that sucks blood from ambivalence and apathy so that it can truly take flight and soar.

Season 2 of ‘Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire’ premieres May 12th on AMC.

The post “Interview with the Vampire” Season 2 Review – A Sublime Evolution of AMC’s Anne Rice TV Series appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The new season premieres on Sunday, May 12 on AMC and AMC+.

Season two will pick up in the year 2022…

“The vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia (Delainey Hayles) conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia. It is in Paris that Louis first meets the vampire Armand (Assad Zaman).

“Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories.”

This season marks the first for Delainey Hayles as Claudia, taking over for Bailey Bass after she exited last season.

Prepare to meet new vampires in Armand’s coven, with recurring guest stars that include Roxane Duran (“The White Ribbon”) as Madeleine and Bally Gill (“Slow Horses”) as “Real Rashid.” Ben Daniels will star as Santiago, the leading vamp thespian of the Théâtre des Vampires who grows increasingly suspicious of the American vampires Louis and Claudia.

The series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s iconic gothic horror novel, initially released in 1976. In it, a two-century-year-old vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac tells his life story and twisted vampire family saga to a reporter. It was the first in a series of novels from Rice.

“Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire” is executive produced by Mark Johnson, Showrunner Rolin Jones and Mark Taylor, with Christopher Rice and the late Anne Rice.

Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe only continues to grow, with new seasons of “Interview with the Vampire”, “Mayfair Witches”, and a spinoff centered around the Talamasca in the works.

The post “Interview with the Vampire” – AMC Sets Season Two Premiere Date appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The clip below teases the Théâtre des Vampires and the vampire coven of Armand (Assad Zaman), just as it’s time to devour dinner. The sneak peek also gives us a closer look at Delainey Hayles as Claudia, taking over for Bailey Bass after she exited last season.

Fans of Anne Rice’s novel will know not to expect smooth sailing for Louis and Claudia when they encounter the Théâtre des Vampires. That’s especially the case with Ben Daniels‘ Santiago, the leading vamp thespian of the Théâtre des Vampires who grows increasingly suspicious of the American vampires Louis and Claudia.

The series, which debuted last year, is a “modern, unforgettable retelling of Anne Rice’s best-selling novel.” Rolin Jones (“Friday Night Lights”) serves as the showrunner.

The series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s iconic gothic horror novel, initially released in 1976. In it, a two-century-year-old vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac tells his life story and twisted vampire family saga to a reporter. It was the first in a series of novels from Rice.

“A sensuous, contemporary reinvention of Anne Rice’s revolutionary gothic novel, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) and Claudia’s (Bailey Bass) epic story of love, blood, and the perils of immortality, as told to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Chafing at the limitations of life as a Black man in 1900s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist the rakish Lestat de Lioncourt’s offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion.

“But Louis’s intoxicating new powers come with a violent price, and the introduction of Lestat’s newest fledgling, the child vampire Claudia, soon sets them on a decades-long path of revenge and atonement.”

Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe only continues to grow, with new seasons of “Interview with the Vampire”, “Mayfair Witches”, and a spinoff centered around the Talamasca in the works.

Look for season two of “Interview with the Vampire” to arrive in 2024.

The post “Interview with the Vampire” – First Look Clip Introduces Season Two’s Théâtre des Vampires appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The teaser below begins with Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) asking vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) to resume where they left off, setting the stage for a second season centered around the Théâtre des Vampires and the vampire coven of Armand (Assad Zaman). The sneak peek also gives us a closer look at Delainey Hayles as Claudia, taking over for Bailey Bass after she exited last season.

Fans of Anne Rice’s novel will know not to expect smooth sailing for Louis and Claudia when they encounter the Théâtre des Vampires. That’s especially the case with Ben Daniels‘ Santiago, the leading vamp thespian of the Théâtre des Vampires who grows increasingly suspicious of the American vampires Louis and Claudia.

Don’t expect season two anytime soon, however; the teaser announces “Interview with the Vampire” won’t arrive until sometime in 2024.

The series, which debuted last year, is a “modern, unforgettable retelling of Anne Rice’s best-selling novel.” Rolin Jones (“Friday Night Lights”) serves as the showrunner.

The series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s iconic gothic horror novel, initially released in 1976. In it, a two-century-year-old vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac tells his life story and twisted vampire family saga to a reporter. It was the first in a series of novels from Rice.

“A sensuous, contemporary reinvention of Anne Rice’s revolutionary gothic novel, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) and Claudia’s (Bailey Bass) epic story of love, blood, and the perils of immortality, as told to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Chafing at the limitations of life as a Black man in 1900s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist the rakish Lestat de Lioncourt’s offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion.

“But Louis’s intoxicating new powers come with a violent price, and the introduction of Lestat’s newest fledgling, the child vampire Claudia, soon sets them on a decades-long path of revenge and atonement.”

Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe only continues to grow, with new seasons of “Interview with the Vampire”, “Mayfair Witches”, and a spinoff centered around the Talamasca in the works.

The post “Interview with the Vampire” Season Two Sneak Peek Sets the Stage for New Coven Coming 2024 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The currently untitled spinoff series will be set in the world of the Talamasca, also known as the Order of the Talamasca, a secret organization featured in Rice’s novels and both AMC series. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone screenwriter John Lee Hancock will serve as writer and showrunner.

Per Deadline, “It is a secret society set up to research, watch over and keep track of the paranormal including witches, spirits, werewolves and vampires. Rice calls them ‘psychic detectives.'”

The announcement comes shortly after the season renewal of “Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches,” where AMC’s Mark Johnson previously said, “The success of both Mayfair Witches and Interview with the Vampire once again illustrates the strength and mastery of Anne Rice’s work. The fact that these first two shows are performing so splendidly with a TV audience gives us much pride in what we’ve already done and great anticipation for the storytelling opportunities yet to come.”

“Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire” is currently in production on its second season in Prague and “Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches” (our review) is set to film its second season in New Orleans later this year.

The Anne Rice catalog AMC recently acquired includes The Vampire Chronicles Series: “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” “The Queen of the Damned,” “The Tale of the Body Thief,” “Memnoch The Devil,” “The Vampire Armand,” “Pandora,” “Vittorio the Vampire,” “Blood and Gold,” “Prince Lestat,” “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” and “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat;” The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches Series: “The Witching Hour,” “Lasher,” “Taltos;” and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches- Crossover Novels: “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle.”

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At just over 1,000 pages, Rice’s novel is a rich text filled with complicated characters who push and pull at the Mayfair legacy. Executive Producer Michelle Ashford and Showrunner Esta Spalding have done an admirable job adapting the massive tome for television, however condensing the entire first novel into 8 episodes of television was bound to significantly alter the story. A list of each deviation from the source material would be nearly as long as the novel itself, but both versions follow Rowan Fielding/Mayfair in a gradual discovery of her family’s dark history. Both versions contain an outside organization known as the Talamasca who chronicle occult phenomena throughout the world, and both versions feature the mysterious Lasher whose attachment to the Mayfair women may be a blessing or a curse. Virtually every other detail of the story is different.

Spalding’s adaptation feels like an updated remix of the general story with themes and plot points liberally altered to fit the pacing of a network show. Unfortunately, by deviating so significantly from Rice’s original tale, Spalding erodes the foundations of the “Mayfair” saga, leaving us with a confusing story that can’t seem to decide on a central villain.

LASHER

In the first episode, we meet both the Mayfair family and the being that haunts them. Lasher is a devilish figure from another realm summoned in 17th Century Scotland by Suzanne Mayfair (Hannah Alline), the first witch of the Mayfair line. Since this invocation, Lasher has built a covenant with the Mayfair daughters and laid claim to a female child from each generation to whom he grants magical powers and the keys to the Mayfair fortune. Lasher’s purpose is similar in both versions of the story, however Rice’s Lasher is much more sinister. Perhaps due to Huston’s charming persona, or Spalding’s choice to position current matriarch Carlotta (Beth Grant) as a major antagonist, Huston’s Lasher at times seems more like a dark liberator than the malevolent presence that would cause Dierdre to give up her baby. 

Rice’s novel has Lasher creep into Rowan’s life after inheriting the Mayfair fortune. After looming in the shadows for months, he seduces and essentially assaults her for days at a time. Though she eventually admits a sexual desire for the demonic entity, her conscious mind always rejects him. Spalding’s Lasher is much more romantic. When Rowan arrives in New Orleans, he serves as a friendly tour guide of sorts, accompanying her on a late night walk through the town as opposed to a ghostly vision that terrorizes her in her San Francisco home. 

The Mayfair Emerald, set in an intricate key-shaped pendant, symbolizes Lasher’s attention passed down through the generations. Rice’s description of this necklace implies it is but a symbol of Lasher’s claim to the witch, but Spalding makes this control more literal. Simply wearing her version of the necklace equates to entering a dark covenant with the demonic entity. When Carlotta tricks a poor maid into donning the necklace, the woman is made to bash her head against a wall over and over again until she crushes her own skull. The pendant seems to take hold of Rowan as well and she forms a possessive relationship with the charm not unlike Gollum with Tolkien’s powerful ring. The show’s version of this emerald seems to serve as a shorthand for Lasher’s power which implies the sinister nature his presence does not. 

MULTIFACETED DIVERSITY

A positive update to Rice’s original text is diversity within its cast of characters. While members of the Mayfair family are all white, there are many other people of color in prominent and leading roles. Few characters discuss their sexuality or gender, but the cast itself includes members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Published in 1990, Rice’s treatment of race in “The Witching Hour” has aged poorly. She consistently notes the Blackness of her characters particularly those of lower socioeconomic status, describing maids and orderlies by their race to seemingly denote uncomfortable stereotypes regarding education and experience. While Rice does not speak about her characters of color with any malice, these dated descriptions feel dehumanizing.

Spalding has intentionally created a diverse cast and has said she hopes the audience will, “look at all of the characters and feel that they see themselves, whoever they are.”

MICHAEL CURRY AND AARON LIGHTNER

Among the show’s most significant narrative changes is the combination of two major characters. Rice’s Rowan falls in love with a man named Michael Curry, a handsome home restorer whom she has saved from drowning before the novel begins. Legally dead for a significant amount of time, Michael returns to life with the power to see into the past. He activates this psychic ability through touch and wears gloves to combat a constant flood of information. Michael also returns from what would have been a watery grave with the certainty that he has been chosen for a higher purpose somehow involving the Mayfair house. In New Orleans, he’s approached by an older man named Aaron Lightner who briefs him on Rowan’s family. Lightner eventually presents Rowan with the same information and the three become a sort of family with the older Englishman giving Rowan away at her wedding to Michael. Spalding’s version of the story combines these characters into a single man named Ciprien Grieve (Tongayi Chirisa). Born with Michael’s power to interpret through touch, he is an agent of the Talamasca and meets Rowan when assigned to her case. Spalding’s Talamasca is led by Albrecht (Dennis Boutsikaris), whose sinister dealings with the Mayfair relatives become clear in later episodes. Rice’s Aaron does have a falling out with Rowan, but he never has malicious intentions for the family. 

While these changes to the story make logical sense, removing Michael from the narrative changes a central element of Lasher’s plan. Rice tells us that Michael has been chosen by the demon and guided towards Rowan. His near drowning is no accident, but a clever way for the otherworldly being to draw the two characters together. As the thirteenth witch, Rowa is not only the most powerful, but serves as a doorway through which Lasher may enter the corporeal. By possessing the body of her unborn child, Rowan essentially gives birth to him and he rapidly grows into a sort of antichrist figure now loose in the world. Having chosen Michael as his father, Lasher has been following him since birth as well, constantly altering his life to unite him with Rowan.

The first season concludes with a jumbled version of this narrative. Rowan does become pregnant and gives birth to a baby, but it’s unclear who the child’s father actually is. Rice’s newborn Lasher grows from infant to adult in the space of a single day and convinces his horrified mother to teach him how to survive in the physical world. Spalding’s Rowan gives birth to a rapidly growing baby who settles around one year of age. Ciprian seems to feel some sort of calling towards the child, but it’s unclear what he plans to do. Rowan tells him he is the baby’s father, but this doesn’t feel even remotely true and neither seem particularly happy about the new family they’ve created. The final scene shows Rowan walking into a storm with the baby on her hip, though it’s never quite clear what anyone’s intentions are. By removing Michael as an element in the story, Spalding muddles Lasher’s plan. His birth into the real world feels more like happenstance than a plan he’s been nursing for centuries. 

THE FILE ON THE MAYFAIR WITCHES

Removing Michael and Aaron from the plot also takes with it the fascinating files on the Mayfair family. Rice’s novel contains a great deal of action including the murder of Rowan’s adopted father, pulling Michael from the sea, and the couple’s steamy love affair. However a large chunk of the text comes from detailed documentation compiled by agents of the Talamasca. Aaron presents Michael with this file and over the course of several days, he reads about the entire Mayfair line stemming back to Suzanne. In the hands of a lesser author, these chapters would be a dry list of names and dates, but Rice brings these stories to life with interviews, eyewitness accounts, and first person narrative of each generation. Though descriptions of sexual assault and incest are off-putting, the stories of these incredible women build a rich world for the unassuming Rowan to enter. The documents even give us more information about the magical healer herself and confirm elements of Rowan’s power even she doesn’t know about. 

Spalding mentions some of these characters, but focuses most of the narrative on the 1st, 12th, and 13th witches in line. We spend time with Suzanne as she calls Lasher to defend her from execution, but the rest of her descendants are relegated to a series of portraits hanging on the wall. A later episode shows the current Mayfair coven chanting the names of their ancestors to infuse a spell with power, but without the foundation of these files, they are merely names in the air. Spalding has mentioned saving the details of these stories for later seasons and it’s likely we will see the lives of Mary Beth and Stella play out in flashbacks. However, it’s difficult to care much about the magic Rowan has inherited without a solid understanding of what that magic is. Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have both done wonderful jobs tracking a complicated story over multiple generations while weaving together many disparate storylines. Similar treatment for earlier members of the Mayfair family tree would build a rich family tapestry and add context to a confusing modern narrative. Without it, we’ve just got a wealthy family with magical powers who squabble with each other for unclear reasons. 

MODERN MAGIC

Spalding supplements the loss of this history with modern themes of misogyny and political violence. A group of witch hunters have been burning women at the stake in order to secure proof of the occult. Ciprien meets one of these disgruntled men while investigating Dierdre’s death and the incel-like morgue worker steals the late witch’s heart. He and the larger group kidnap one of the younger Mayfair women and hope to leverage her as bait to take the entire family down. Rowan arrives to save the day and after clumsily using her own powers, she invokes Lasher and begs for his help. While the inclusion of this plotline does update the 33 year old story, it also serves to muddy the waters on Lasher’s characterization. Rice’s story is contained entirely within the Mayfair family and its associates, positioning Lasher’s malevolent plans as the central conflict. The addition of outside agitators places Lasher and the Mayfair women on the same side which makes his rebirth into the world all the more confusing. 

Mayfair Witches has been renewed for a second season despite middling reviews and uneven interest from viewers. This is likely due to AMC’s large investment when acquiring the late author’s literary catalog. One gets a sense when comparing the source material to the adaptation that no one involved in the show fully grasps the breadth of Rice’s story nor the details that make it sing. It’s not the powers of the current protagonists that draw us in but the rich and scandalous history of this fascinating family.

Hopefully the second season will stick more closely to Rice’s novels and slow down to tell a more detailed story about the magical Mayfair women, both past and present.

The post How AMC’s “Mayfair Witches” Oversimplifies a Rich Story appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The brand new series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels in the “Mayfair Witches” saga, and it premiered January 8 on AMC and AMC+.

AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire” was also recently renewed for a second season.

“The success of both Mayfair Witches and Interview with the Vampire once again illustrates the strength and mastery of Anne Rice’s work,” said AMC’s Mark Johnson. “The fact that these first two shows are performing so splendidly with a TV audience gives us much pride in what we’ve already done and great anticipation for the storytelling opportunities yet to come.”

Alexandra Daddario, Harry Hamlin, and Annabeth Gish star in “Mayfair Witches,” with Jack Huston (House of Gucci) playing the shape-shifting Lasher.

Esta Spalding (“Masters of Sex,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”) and Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex,” “The Pacific,” “John Adams”) are both executive producers and writers of the series. Spalding, who has an overall deal with AMC Studios, is showrunner.

“The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.”

The Anne Rice catalog AMC recently acquired includes The Vampire Chronicles Series: “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” “The Queen of the Damned,” “The Tale of the Body Thief,” “Memnoch The Devil,” “The Vampire Armand,” “Pandora,” “Vittorio the Vampire,” “Blood and Gold,” “Prince Lestat,” “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” and “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat;” The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches Series: “The Witching Hour,” “Lasher,” “Taltos;” and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches- Crossover Novels: “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle.”

The magic continues. #MayfairWitches will return for a second season! pic.twitter.com/1ZsEWmrME2

— Mayfair Witches (@Immortal_AMC) February 3, 2023

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After acquiring the rights to Rice’s entire catalog in 2020, AMC released an ambitious reimagining of her most famous text. Though it flew mostly under the radar, Interview With the Vampire premiered to positive reviews and has been praised for its exploration of race and sexuality while drawing viewers in with a campy tone. The network’s followup series, Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches stars Alexandra Daddario as a lost Mayfair daughter waking up to her magical powers.

Though visually enchanting, the series fails to live up to its predecessor’s bite and casts a middling spell over the audience. 

Dr. Rowan Fielding (Daddario), a San Francisco neurosurgeon, has always suspected she’s different. Adopted at birth, she’s grown up with the terrifying power to kill or maim her enemies simply by imagining internal damage to their bodies. When her adopted mother dies, Rowan begins to search for information about her familial roots, hoping to understand this destructive talent. She learns that she is the long lost descendant of a centuries old line of witches whose power is somehow linked to a mysterious man known as Lasher (Jack Huston).

Hoping to protect her from this malevolent clan, agent Ciprien Grieve (Tongayi Chirisa) tracks Rowan down and attempts to explain her complicated lineage. Unsure who to trust, Rowan is drawn to the historical Mayfair Mansion and vows to unravel the mystery of her past for better or worse. 

Though the narrative jumps through different eras of the Mayfair line, the story is built around Rowan’s gradual discovery of her powers. While Daddario has been successful in other ensemble casts, ranging from the horror titles We Summon the Darkness, Texas Chainsaw, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle to the highly praised HBO series White Lotus, she falters here creating a charismatic vacuum at the heart of the show. Daddario has mastered a doe-eyed innocence that works well in contrast to more audacious characters. However she struggles to lead a slimmer cast with a halting and subdued tone that often reads as clueless. 

This lack of magnetism cannot fully be laid at Daddario’s feet as Rowan is a rather weak character to begin with. Hailing from a novel published in 1990, the young witch feels like a dated version of the perfectly flawed heroine we’ve come to expect at the center of YA novels. She’s a brilliant neurosurgeon and a witch with unprecedented power, but she struggles with intimacy and often lets others walk all over her. Rowan’s solitary life (on a houseboat no less) provides a too-perfect lack of personal entanglements just waiting for a mystery to sweep her away. These quirky traits could be embellished to add depth to her character, but she unfortunately falls into the Not Like Other Girls trope and fails to anchor a story she should be driving. 

Beth Grant is a fascinating villain as Carlotta, the family’s current matriarch. Callous and cruel, her willingness to sacrifice her own flesh and blood is chilling though conversations with her sister Millie (Geraldine Singer) hint at a more complicated motive. Jack Huston is the more overt villain Lasher, but when cast in contrast to the manipulative Mayfairs, he often seems like an appealing partner. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Annabeth Gish as Rowan’s birth mother and Harry Hamlin as her flamboyant uncle. These veteran actors are wonderful additions to the cast, but often feel underused. The series MVP is Ciprien, an agent from a long line of magical investigators who takes it upon himself to protect Rowan from herself and her family. He is by far the most compelling character and the series becomes vastly more interesting whenever he is on screen. 

Intended to be the tentpole of an expansive Immortal Universe, last year’s Interview With the Vampire had the luxury of name recognition. Adapted from Rice’s most famous novel, viewers were familiar with the expansive text and perhaps more patient with the somewhat meandering story. The Lives of the Mayfair Witches is little known outside of the most dedicated horror fiction circles, leaving the series at a distinct disadvantage. When viewed as a whole, the series will likely feel like a slow-burn journey in which Rowan reclaims her magical heritage. Unfortunately, the story takes a while to heat up and viewers unfamiliar with the narrative arc will likely have a difficult time becoming invested.

Filmed on location in New Orleans, there’s plenty of visual interest from glittery masquerade balls, rambling gothic mansions, and a nighttime funeral procession through the city’s streets. While this set dressing is stunning, it exists on the periphery of a story that takes too long to kick into gear.  

Anne Rice is known for compelling characters who struggle to reconcile magical powers with their human inclinations toward morality. This will likely bear out as the season unfolds to reveal intriguing heroes and villains every bit as complex as her vampire cast. Showrunner Esta Spalding has proven herself capable of creating captivating female characters with her quirky Showtime series On Becoming a God in Central Florida and likely has a firm grasp of where Rowan is heading. Unfortunately many viewers may become frustrated with the slowly unraveling plot and abandon ship before the story can venture into more satisfying waters.

As the sophomore outing in a burgeoning connected universe, Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches casts a lukewarm spell over its audience and only time will tell if the famous author’s name will be enough to carry this fledgling series through its early growing pains. 

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches premieres January 8 on AMC and AMC+

The post “Mayfair Witches” Review – AMC’s Anne Rice Series Casts an Uneven Spell appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The upcoming series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels in the “Mayfair Witches” saga, and it premieres January 8 on AMC and AMC+. Watch the official trailer below.

Alexandra Daddario, Harry Hamlin, and Annabeth Gish star in “Mayfair Witches,” with Jack Huston (House of Gucci) recently signing on to play the shape-shifting Lasher

Esta Spalding (“Masters of Sex,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”) and Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex,” “The Pacific,” “John Adams”) are both executive producers and writers of the series. Spalding, who has an overall deal with AMC Studios, is showrunner.

“The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.”

The Anne Rice catalog AMC recently acquired includes The Vampire Chronicles Series: “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” “The Queen of the Damned,” “The Tale of the Body Thief,” “Memnoch The Devil,” “The Vampire Armand,” “Pandora,” “Vittorio the Vampire,” “Blood and Gold,” “Prince Lestat,” “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” and “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat;” The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches Series: “The Witching Hour,” “Lasher,” “Taltos;” and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches- Crossover Novels: “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle.”

The post “Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches” Trailer – Alexandra Daddario Discovers Her Legacy This January appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The upcoming series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels in the “Mayfair Witches” saga, and we’ve learned that it’ll debut exclusively on AMC+ on January 5, 2023.

The first two episodes will be available that night, followed by weekly rollouts.

Watch the official trailer for “Mayfair Witches” below.

Alexandra Daddario, Harry Hamlin, and Annabeth Gish star in “The Mayfair Witches,” with Jack Huston (House of Gucci) recently signing on to play the shape-shifting Lasher

Esta Spalding (“Masters of Sex,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”) and Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex,” “The Pacific,” “John Adams”) are both executive producers and writers of the series. Spalding, who has an overall deal with AMC Studios, is showrunner.

“The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.”

The Anne Rice catalog AMC recently acquired includes The Vampire Chronicles Series: “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” “The Queen of the Damned,” “The Tale of the Body Thief,” “Memnoch The Devil,” “The Vampire Armand,” “Pandora,” “Vittorio the Vampire,” “Blood and Gold,” “Prince Lestat,” “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” and “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat;” The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches Series: “The Witching Hour,” “Lasher,” “Taltos;” and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches- Crossover Novels: “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle.”

The post “Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches” Official Trailer – AMC+ Series Premieres in January 2023 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The upcoming series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels in the “Mayfair Witches” saga, and it’s coming in 2023. Watch the teaser below and expect the full trailer soon.

Alexandra Daddario, Harry Hamlin, and Annabeth Gish star in “The Mayfair Witches,” with Jack Huston (House of Gucci) recently signing on to play the shape-shifting Lasher

Esta Spalding (“Masters of Sex,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”) and Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex,” “The Pacific,” “John Adams”) are both executive producers and writers of the series. Spalding, who has an overall deal with AMC Studios, is showrunner.

“The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.”

The Anne Rice catalog AMC recently acquired includes The Vampire Chronicles Series: “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” “The Queen of the Damned,” “The Tale of the Body Thief,” “Memnoch The Devil,” “The Vampire Armand,” “Pandora,” “Vittorio the Vampire,” “Blood and Gold,” “Prince Lestat,” “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” and “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat;” The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches Series: “The Witching Hour,” “Lasher,” “Taltos;” and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches- Crossover Novels: “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle.”

Introducing the thirteenth witch. #MayfairWitches premieres in early 2023 on @AMCPlus. Stay tuned for a full trailer soon. pic.twitter.com/2hKppdKUiD

— Interview with the Vampire (@Immortal_AMC) October 3, 2022

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AMC’s playful look at the gothic, gory world of the infamous vampire Lestat hits a healthy artery that feels like it can keep its pulse beating for years.

“There’s a simple answer to that, but I don’t believe that I want to give simple answers. I want to tell the real story.” 

It’s only a few minutes into Interview with the Vampire that a character prompts another for the real story. Vampires are a supernatural creature that have fueled stories for centuries, but many modern examinations of the undead attempt to present the real story and finally uncover a level of truth and realism that’s previously been absent in the genre. In most cases, this “realism” comes across as hackneyed, or even worse, increasingly derivative of past ideas until it’s a Russian nesting doll of diminishing returns. 

Right from the start, Interview with the Vampire feels fresh and unpredictable, which already gives it a distinct advantage over contemporary vampire programs like Vampire Academy, Reginald the Vampire, First Kill, or even What We Do in the Shadows. Of course, that’s largely a testament to Anne Rice‘s rich world that has had decades to ruminate and improve upon itself, but “In Throes of Increasing Wonder…” understands that it has a a lot to prove here and it makes sure that this update on Interview with the Vampire is not just generic vampire material that coasts on comfortable themes and iconography. This premiere episode is just over 65 minutes long and it doesn’t abuse this extra time, nor does it feel laborious in its construction. It has to do the heavy lifting of handling copious introductions, between two timelines no less, but it doesn’t feel like a pilot that’s bogged down in exposition and can’t show off its true colors. 

Furthermore, Interview with the Vampire also has a lot to prove now that AMC has lost Better Call Saul and The Walking Dead might, finally, be approaching some state of final decomposition. It cannot be underestimated how much they need this show to be a hit and the program’s early two-season renewal is good business as much as it’s a gesture of faith in the series. That being said, Interview with the Vampire actually feels like a quality program that could carry the mantle of The Walking Dead. It’s even a show that could pull off a decade-plus of seasons, or multiple spin-offs, since it has hundreds of years to pull from in its fascinating exploration of Louis and Lestat’s growth.

So many vampire series focus on the visceral nature and overflowing sexuality that consumes vampires, which is still on display here, but what’s often overlooked in these vampire projects is the feeling of eternity that constricts these creatures. This endlessness is the whole point of Interview with the Vampire and so it’s satisfying to see that it’s a palpable component that’s felt right from the start of the series. “In Throes of Increasing Wonder…” carries the pomp and circumstance of what a story of this grandiose nature necessitates. Purple narration that’s pulled right out of Rice’s books accompanies gorgeous swooping shots of skylines across the world, throughout time, that are powerful and inspirational, rather than condescending. Alan Taylor’s slick directorial tricks often help the viewer feel as invincible, and fragile, as Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) and Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) do at the various points of their lengthy lives in which “In Throes of Increasing Wonder…” checks in.

Lestat and Louis are squarely the focus of this premiere, but Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) is forced to reckon with his own mortality after his dwindling health triggers his reunion with this undead orator. Building upon this level of vulnerability, “In Throes of Increasing Wonder…” also leans into health concerns through the pandemic, but it actually incorporates this modern real-life disaster in a natural manner that’s often lacking in recent series that attempt to do as much. What makes it effective in Interview with the Vampire is that it contextualizes this pandemic as business as usual for Louis. It’s just one, of many, disasters that he’s lived through and will continue to live through. A vampire series of this nature gets the opportunity to flex an eerie, nihilistic perspective when COVID-19 is just one blip that these eternal creatures have seen alongside the Black Plague, Spanish Flu, or anything else.

The start of the series covers multiple stretches of history, but it uses the early 1900s in New Orleans to explore some incendiary turning points for Louis. The series uses these recurring parables to condemn, but also celebrate, humanity as well as reflect the repetitive cycle that it heads down, which makes it all pointless in the process. All of these societal observations and critiques are present in Rice’s original writings, but Interview with the Vampire effectively develops these themes through intuitive changes to race, gender, and sexuality in this version of the text. A lot of the discussions with this series will inevitably come down to Sam Reid’s performance as Lestat and compare him to the previous actors who have portrayed the timeless vampire. Reid makes sure that his take on Lestat is appropriately austere, but there’s a festering anger to the character that’s always fighting to break out of its careful package.

“In Throes of Increasing Wonder…” lives up to its title and it’s a series premiere that feels epic, but also doesn’t bite off more than it can chew. It shows off enough of this world and its characters to feel substantial, yet also creates anticipation for what’s to come and the rest of Lestat’s lengthy life. Interview with the Vampire covers a lot of ground, but it’s important to address a central accusation that Daniel poses to Louis early on in the episode–”Maybe your story wasn’t worth telling.” Despite Louis’ confidence, he still spends the bulk of his time in “In Throes of Increasing Wonder…” attempting to prove the contrary. Interview with the Vampire is ultimately taxed with the same challenge.

In an over-bloated genre, vampire series need to justify themselves rather than purely exist off of reputation alone. It’s still too early to predict the quality of its far-off future, but if the series premiere is any indication, Interview with the Vampire absolutely proves that this is, in fact, a story that’s worth telling.

‘Interview with the Vampire’ debuted October 2nd at 10pm (ET) on AMC.

The post ‘Interview with the Vampire’ Review – TV Series Draws Fresh Blood With a New Take on Anne Rice’s Saga appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Check out the images below and expect “The Mayfair Witches” in 2023.

Alexandra Daddario, Harry Hamlin, and Annabeth Gish star in “The Mayfair Witches,” with Jack Huston (House of Gucci) recently signing on to play the shape-shifting Lasher

Esta Spalding (“Masters of Sex,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”) and Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex,” “The Pacific,” “John Adams”) are both executive producers and writers of the series. Spalding, who has an overall deal with AMC Studios, is showrunner.

“The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.”

The Anne Rice catalog AMC recently acquired includes The Vampire Chronicles Series: “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” “The Queen of the Damned,” “The Tale of the Body Thief,” “Memnoch The Devil,” “The Vampire Armand,” “Pandora,” “Vittorio the Vampire,” “Blood and Gold,” “Prince Lestat,” “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” and “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat;” The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches Series: “The Witching Hour,” “Lasher,” “Taltos;” and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches- Crossover Novels: “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle.”

The post Anne Rice’s “The Mayfair Witches” – New Images of Alexandra Daddario in AMC Series appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The first two episodes will be available on AMC+ that same night.

The series is said to be an “modern, unforgettable retelling of Anne Rice’s best-selling novel,” and you can sink your teeth into a brand new trailer from AMC down below.

Rolin Jones (“Friday Night Lights”) is creating, showrunning, and writing the series.

The series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s iconic gothic horror novel, initially released in 1976. In it, a two-century-year-old vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac tells his life story and twisted vampire family saga to a reporter. It was the first in a series of novels from Rice.

“A sensuous, contemporary reinvention of Anne Rice’s revolutionary gothic novel, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) and Claudia’s (Bailey Bass) epic story of love, blood, and the perils of immortality, as told to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Chafing at the limitations of life as a Black man in 1900s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist the rakish Lestat de Lioncourt’s offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion.

“But Louis’s intoxicating new powers come with a violent price, and the introduction of Lestat’s newest fledgling, the child vampire Claudia, soon sets them on a decades-long path of revenge and atonement.”

Alan Taylor is directing the first two of seven total first season episodes.

The Anne Rice catalog that AMC Networks has acquired features The Vampire Chronicles series: Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch The Devil, The Vampire Armand, Pandora, Vittorio the Vampire, Blood, and Gold, Prince Lestat, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis, and Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat; The Lives of The Mayfair Witches series: The Witching Hour, Lasher, Taltos; and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches crossover novels: Merrick, Blackwood Farm, and Blood Canticle.

On that note, a “Lives of the Mayfair Witches” series is also coming soon.

The post Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire” Trailer Recounts an Epic Tale of Bloody Romance appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The series is said to be an “modern, unforgettable retelling of Anne Rice’s best-selling novel,” and you can sink your teeth into a brand new trailer from AMC down below.

Rolin Jones (“Friday Night Lights”) is creating, showrunning, and writing the series.

Sam Reid takes over the role of Lestat de Lioncourt in AMC’s upcoming series.

Jacob Anderson is Louis, Eric Bogosian is Daniel Molloy, and Bailey Bass is Claudia.

The series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s iconic gothic horror novel, initially released in 1976. In it, a two-century-year-old vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac tells his life story and twisted vampire family saga to a reporter. It was the first in a series of novels from Rice.

Alan Taylor is directing the first two of seven total first season episodes.

The Anne Rice catalog that AMC Networks has acquired features The Vampire Chronicles series: Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch The Devil, The Vampire Armand, Pandora, Vittorio the Vampire, Blood, and Gold, Prince Lestat, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis, and Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat; The Lives of The Mayfair Witches series: The Witching Hour, Lasher, Taltos; and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches crossover novels: Merrick, Blackwood Farm, and Blood Canticle.

On that note, a “Lives of the Mayfair Witches” series is also coming soon.

The post Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire” – New Trailer Invites You to Drink a Little Blood appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Alexandra Daddario, Harry Hamlin, and Annabeth Gish star in “The Mayfair Witches,” with Jack Huston (House of Gucci) recently signing on to play the shape-shifting Lasher.

Check out the images below and expect “The Mayfair Witches” in 2023.

Esta Spalding (“Masters of Sex,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”) and Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex,” “The Pacific,” “John Adams”) are both executive producers and writers of the series. Spalding, who has an overall deal with AMC Studios, is showrunner.

“The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.”

The Anne Rice catalog AMC recently acquired includes The Vampire Chronicles Series: “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” “The Queen of the Damned,” “The Tale of the Body Thief,” “Memnoch The Devil,” “The Vampire Armand,” “Pandora,” “Vittorio the Vampire,” “Blood and Gold,” “Prince Lestat,” “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” and “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat;” The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches Series: “The Witching Hour,” “Lasher,” “Taltos;” and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches- Crossover Novels: “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle.”

The post Anne Rice’s “The Mayfair Witches” – First Look at Alexandra Daddario and More in AMC Series [Images] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Rolin Jones (“Friday Night Lights”) is creating, showrunning, and writing the series, which will premiere on AMC on October 2.

The trailer highlights Louis living a lavish life in New Orleans at the turn of the century, unaware that he’s hunted by the vampire Lestat. Lestat, of course, promises immortality, but it comes with a cost for the moral Louis.

Sam Reid takes over the role of Lestat de Lioncourt in AMC’s upcoming “Interview with the Vampire” series. Jacob Anderson is Louis, Eric Bogosian is Daniel Molloy, and Bailey Bass is Claudia.

The series is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s iconic gothic horror novel, initially released in 1976. In it, a two-century-year-old vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac tells his life story and twisted vampire family saga to a reporter. It was the first in a novel series, and the AMC retelling is said to be a modernized retelling.

Alan Taylor is directing the first two of seven total first season episodes.

The Anne Rice catalog that AMC Networks has acquired features The Vampire Chronicles series: Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch The Devil, The Vampire Armand, Pandora, Vittorio the Vampire, Blood, and Gold, Prince Lestat, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis, and Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat; The Lives of The Mayfair Witches series: The Witching Hour, Lasher, Taltos; and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches crossover novels: Merrick, Blackwood Farm, and Blood Canticle.

On that note, a “Lives of the Mayfair Witches” series is also in the works. 

The seven-episode first season of “Interview With the Vampire” will premiere on AMC and AMC+ on October 2. Watch the full trailer and check out the new poster below.

The post AMC’s “Interview With the Vampire” Series Unveils Halloween Season Premiere Date with New Trailer [SDCC] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

THR details in their report, “Jack Huston will play Lasher, a powerful shape shifter who has been bound to the Mayfair witches for hundreds of years.”

Alexandra Daddario, Harry Hamlin, and Annabeth Gish will also star.

Esta Spalding (“Masters of Sex,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”) and Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex,” “The Pacific,” “John Adams”) are both executive producers and writers of the series. Spalding, who has an overall deal with AMC Studios, will serve as showrunner.

“The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.”

Eight episodes of “Mayfair Witches” will premiere later this year.

The Anne Rice catalog AMC acquired last year includes The Vampire Chronicles Series: “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” “The Queen of the Damned,” “The Tale of the Body Thief,” “Memnoch The Devil,” “The Vampire Armand,” “Pandora,” “Vittorio the Vampire,” “Blood and Gold,” “Prince Lestat,” “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” and “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat;” The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches Series: “The Witching Hour,” “Lasher,” “Taltos;” and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches- Crossover Novels: “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle.”

The post Jack Huston Will Play Shape-Shifting Anne Rice Character in “Mayfair Witches” TV Series appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Deadline reports that Annabeth Gish (The Fall of the House of Usher; Midnight Mass) has joined the cast as Diedre, alongside the previously announced Alexandra Daddario.

Tongayi Chirisa (Palm Springs, Antebellum), Beth Grant (Rain Man, No Country for Old Men), Erica Gimpel (God Friended Me), and Jen Richards (Her Story) have also signed on.

Esta Spalding (“Masters of Sex,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”) and Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex,” “The Pacific,” “John Adams”) are both executive producers and writers of the series. Spalding, who has an overall deal with AMC Studios, will serve as showrunner.

“The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.”

Eight episodes of “Mayfair Witches” will premiere later this year.

The Anne Rice catalog AMC acquired last year includes The Vampire Chronicles Series: “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” “The Queen of the Damned,” “The Tale of the Body Thief,” “Memnoch The Devil,” “The Vampire Armand,” “Pandora,” “Vittorio the Vampire,” “Blood and Gold,” “Prince Lestat,” “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” and “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat;” The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches Series: “The Witching Hour,” “Lasher,” “Taltos;” and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches- Crossover Novels: “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle.”

The post Annabeth Gish and More Join Anne Rice Series “Mayfair Witches” appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Sam Reid takes over the role of Lestat de Lioncourt in AMC’s upcoming “Interview with the Vampire” series, a brand new small screen telling of Anne Rice‘s vampire saga.

Additionally, Jacob Anderson is Louis, Eric Bogosian is Daniel Molloy, and Bailey Bass is Claudia in the upcoming series. Watch the official “Interview With the Vampire” teaser below.

Rolin Jones (“Friday Night Lights”) is creating, showrunning, and writing the series, which is expected to take a bite out of both AMC and AMC+ in Fall 2022.

Alan Taylor is directing the first two of seven total first season episodes.

The Anne Rice catalog that AMC Networks has acquired features The Vampire Chronicles series: Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch The Devil, The Vampire Armand, Pandora, Vittorio the Vampire, Blood and Gold, Prince Lestat, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis, and Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat; The Lives of The Mayfair Witches series: The Witching Hour, Lasher, Taltos; and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches crossover novels: Merrick, Blackwood Farm and Blood Canticle.

The post “Interview With the Vampire” Teaser Trailer Brings Lestat to AMC This Fall appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Additionally, Jacob Anderson is Louis, Eric Bogosian is Daniel Molloy, and Bailey Bass is Claudia in the upcoming series, and we’ve got some new images for you today.

These come courtesy of People.com, giving us fresh looks at Sam Reid’s Lestat as well as Louis and the other characters we’ll be meeting later this year. Find the images below.

Rolin Jones (“Friday Night Lights”) is creating, showrunning, and writing the series, which is expected to take a bite out of AMC and AMC+ sometime in 2022.

Alan Taylor is directing the first two of seven total first season episodes.

The Anne Rice catalog that AMC Networks has acquired features The Vampire Chronicles series: Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch The Devil, The Vampire Armand, Pandora, Vittorio the Vampire, Blood and Gold, Prince Lestat, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis, and Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat; The Lives of The Mayfair Witches series: The Witching Hour, Lasher, Taltos; and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches crossover novels: Merrick, Blackwood Farm and Blood Canticle.

A “Lives of the Mayfair Witches” series, on that note, is also in the works. Below, you can revisit the 1994 original starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt with our own Horror Queers podcast.

The post Sam Reid is Lestat in New Images from AMC’s “Interview With the Vampire” TV Series appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Check out your first look at Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt below!

Jacob Anderson (“Game of Thrones”) is Louis and Bailey Bass (Law & Order SVU) is Claudia in the upcoming series based on Anne Rice’s classic vampire novel.

Rolin Jones (“Friday Night Lights”) is creating, showrunning, and writing the series, which is expected to take a bite out of AMC and AMC+ sometime in 2022.

The Anne Rice catalog that AMC Networks has acquired features The Vampire Chronicles series: Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch The Devil, The Vampire Armand, Pandora, Vittorio the Vampire, Blood and Gold, Prince Lestat, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis, and Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat; The Lives of The Mayfair Witches series: The Witching Hour, Lasher, Taltos; and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches crossover novels: Merrick, Blackwood Farm and Blood Canticle.

A “Lives of the Mayfair Witches” series, on that note, is also in the works.

Iconic characters. Epic new worlds. Legendary series.

It’s all here. pic.twitter.com/VFBHn9zPgu

— AMC+ (@AMCPlus) February 14, 2022

The post AMC+ Super Bowl Spot Debuts First Footage from Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire” appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Earlier tonight, Anne passed away due to complications resulting from a stroke,” Rice’s son, Christopher Rice, said in a statement on social media. “She left us almost nineteen years to the day my father, her husband Stan, died. The immensity of our family’s grief cannot be overstated. As my mother, her support for me was unconditional — she taught me to embrace my dreams, reject conformity and challenge the dark voices of fear and self-doubt. As a writer, she taught me to defy genre boundaries and surrender to my obsessive passions.

“In her final hours, I sat beside her hospital bed in awe of her accomplishments and her courage, awash in memories of a life that took us from the fog laced hills of the San Francisco Bay Area to the magical streets of New Orleans to the twinkling vistas of Southern California. As she kissed Anne goodbye, her younger sister Karen said, ‘What a ride you took us on, kid.’ I think we can all agree. Let us take comfort in the shared hope that Anne is now experiencing firsthand the glorious answers to many great spiritual and cosmic questions, the quest for which defined her life and career.

“Throughout much of her final years, your contributions to this page brought her much joy, along with a profound sense of friendship and community,” he tells her fans. “Anne will be interred in our family’s mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans in a private ceremony. Next year, a celebration of her life will take place in New Orleans. This event will be open to the public and will invite the participation of her friends, readers and fans who brought her such joy and inspiration throughout her life.”

Rice wrote nearly 40 novels, including the famed “The Vampire Chronicles” and the more recent “Mayfair Witches”. She sold some 135 million copies, placing her among the most popular fantasy writers of all time, notes THR.

She also penned the screenplay to the 1994 adaptation of Interview With the Vampire, which starred Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, and introduced millions to the iconic vampire Lestat. Queen of the Damned would also receive the Hollywood treatment in 2002, starring the late Aaliyah.

AMC had recently given a series order to “The Lives of the Mayfair Witches”, as they continue to film “Interview With the Vampire”, the first in a new series based on “The Vampires Chronicles”.

The works of Anne Rice will live on in infamy and her impact on the genre will continue to be felt until the end of time. You can read a wonderful obit over at THR.

What is your favorite Anne Rice novel and why?

The post R.I.P. Anne Rice, Author of “The Vampire Chronicles” Novels, Has Passed Away at 80 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We’ve learned today that the project has now been given a full series order, as AMC Networks announced it has greenlit “Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches,” a new series based on the “Lives of the Mayfair Witches” trilogy, for AMC+ and AMC. The second series in an expanding Anne Rice universe, “Mayfair” will follow “Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire” with a late 2022 premiere. The first season of eight episodes will be produced by AMC Studios.

“Esta Spalding (“Masters of Sex,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”) and Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex,” “The Pacific,” “John Adams”) are both executive producers and writers of the series. Spalding, who has an overall deal with AMC Studios, will serve as showrunner.

“The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.

“AMC Networks last year acquired the rights to an expansive collection of Rice’s iconic works, encompassing 18 titles including The Vampire Chronicles and The Lives of the Mayfair Witches series, which have delighted fans around the world. Acclaimed and award-winning film and television producer Mark Johnson (“Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul,” “Halt and Catch Fire,” “Rectify”), who also has an overall agreement with AMC Studios, is overseeing development of the full Anne Rice collection into a streaming and television universe, with Anne Rice and son Christopher Rice serving as executive producers on all series and films. Together, “The Vampire Chronicles” and “The Lives of the Mayfair Witches” series have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide.”

“2022 will be the biggest year for original programming in the history of our company, and we are literally over the moon that it will now include the first two series in an expanding Anne Rice universe built around stories and characters that have captivated millions of fans around the world,” said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. “We are also extremely fortunate to have such talented storytellers as Esta and Michelle guiding this adaptation, which will follow the first season of ‘Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire’ late next year.”

The Anne Rice catalog AMC acquired last year includes The Vampire Chronicles Series: “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” “The Queen of the Damned,” “The Tale of the Body Thief,” “Memnoch The Devil,” “The Vampire Armand,” “Pandora,” “Vittorio the Vampire,” “Blood and Gold,” “Prince Lestat,” “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” and “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat;” The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches Series: “The Witching Hour,” “Lasher,” “Taltos;” and The Vampire Chronicles/The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches- Crossover Novels: “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle.”

The post “Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches” Gets a Series Order from AMC; “Interview With the Vampire” Also Coming Soon appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.