Interview With The Vampire is finally back for season three with a set date in 2026. It’s been a year since AMC unveiled the comic-con teaser trailer which featured a very sassy Lestat getting ready backstage. The teaser also hinted at a song sung by Sam Reid as Lestat titled ‘Longface.’
The wait is (almost) over, but the anticipation remains high as AMC recently released a behind-the-scenes look. With Sam Reid returning as Lestat, he will be the focus of the season. As new characters orbit around Lestat, our beloved Louis and Daniel Molloy– who will be returning as a vampire– are back.
Louis has been our main character for a while, and he recounts his life to interviewer Daniel Molloy. Now, it’s about time we get to see Lestat’s point of view and his early life. Decades after inaccurate adaptations, Interview With The Vampire stays true to its original story despite its changes.
A Recap on Interview With The Vampire
Last season was an emotional ride for Claudia and Louis when they traveled to Europe after enduring Lestat’s toxicity. When season one aired back in 2022, the changes made to the story were generally accepted by fans. In this rendition, Louis is a black man living in 1910s New Orleans, compared to the novel’s 18th-century period. When Lestat’s controlling nature and manipulation worsens, Claudia hatches a plan to get rid of Lestat for good.
Season two picks up with Louis and Claudia starting a new life in a different country, with Lestat presumably dead. The father-daughter duo encounter a ‘Théâtre des Vampires’ in Paris, led by conniving vampire Armand. Unfortunately, his growing relationship with Louis ends up echoing the toxic relationship Louis had with Lestat.
But after Claudia’s death, Louis had no one to turn to but Armand. Lestat and Louis’ reunion in New Orleans, with a saddened Lestat standing inside a crumbling house, made for a gut-wrenching season finale. The moment captured the weight of their past, leaving viewers haunted by unresolved emotions and the uncertain future that still lies ahead for them both.
Anne Rice’s World
Despite the time period change and the race swapping of characters, Interview With The Vampire tv series stays true to Anne Rice’s novels. Season three will be introducing new characters straight from The Vampire Chronicles, such as Lestat’s mother, Gabrielle. As well as other important characters like Marius, and Magnus, and Baby Jenks– who first made an appearance in The Queen of the Damned.
Some argue 1994’s Interview with the Vampire is the closest adaptation of Anne Rice’s first book. The time period is exactly the same as well as the characters– not including Antonio Banderas’ black sleek hair in comparison to the novel’s red-headed Armand. Louis is portrayed as a young man who’s just lost his brother, placing him in a vulnerable state. Lestat, a centuries old vampire, prays on Louis’ vulnerability and makes Louis immortal.
The two rescue Claudia, a little girl on the brink of death, but it is Louis who turns her. The trio’s dynamic mirrors the novel: Lestat’s flair for drama, Claudia’s fierce independence, and Louis’ melancholy. And then there’s 2002’s Queen of the Damned, which bombed at the box office but received mixed reviews from fans. Aaliyah’s iconic portrayal of Akasha, the mother of vampires, raised the bar for any future actresses considered for the tv series
But what the 2002 movie got wrong was…well, everything. Being more of a cash grab, the film left out essential characters such as Magnus, Baby Jenks, and many others. The portrayal of essential characters was inaccurate to the novel and treated as extras, stripping them of depth and purpose, that made Anne Rice’s universe so compelling.
The creators of the TV series have been extra quiet about who will play Akasha, and whether Aaliyah’s portrayal will raise the bar for potential actresses. “In season three, the Vampire Lestat sets his story straight in a way only he can — by starting a band and going on tour,” according to Deadline. “Gabrielle. Nicholas. Magnus. Marius. Those Who Must Be Kept. They join Louis, Armand, Molloy, Sam, Raglan, and Fareed on a sexy pilgrimage across space, time, and trauma.” The Talamasca, a secret society dedicated to the paranormal, will also appear in the new season.
Rockstar Lestat
A year ago, AMC teased its viewers with a Comic-Con teaser featuring rockstar Lestat getting ready backstage with his frantic makeup and wardrobe team. He then stares at the viewer, speaking to them “telepathically” as he does to Louis in the show. In this moment, the viewer is supposed to feel as vulnerable as Louis once felt under Lestat’s chilling gaze when they first met. That was only an insight into Lestat’s manipulative persona and his vampiric telepathic abilities.
AMC released an exclusive sneak peek depicting how Sam Reid prepared for his recurring role. In addition to his performance, this season, he will also deliver his own vocals. But despite the narrative being shifted onto Lestat, this season isn’t just about our favorite rockstar vampire. As the plot thickens, the story expands to other characters within Anne Rice’s universe.
“Also at Comic-Con, AMC announced an Oct. 26 premiere date for Talamasca, the third series in the cable and streaming outlet’s Anne Rice universe (The Mayfair Witches is the other),” according to The Hollywood Reporter. “The show centers on a secret society that tracks and contains witches, vampires, and other creatures.” In The Queen of the Damned book, Lestat is described as a blonde glam rock god, which is something the 2002 film got wrong. Compared to Townsend’s goth look, Reid’s look for the season certainly fits the part.
Fans are already buzzing about Reid’s vocal performance and the series’ darker tone. With the expansion of the Anne Rice universe, AMC is clearly laying the groundwork for a supernatural crossover event that could bring its iconic characters together in thrilling, unexpected ways. With AMC’s two-season show Mayfair Witches and Talamasca series already in the works, Anne Rice fans are in for a treat.
