Interview With The Vampire TV Series - What We Know So Far

In November of 2016, author Anne Rice took to Facebook to announce she was once again in control of "The Vampire Chronicles." She expressed her desire to create a television series based on her work and finished her post by saying, "I am filled with optimism this morning about the future ..."

Rice's book had been adapted previously in the 1994 movie "Interview with the Vampire," starring Tom Cruise as the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, who turns Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt) into a vampire. The story followed Louis as he narrated his life story to a biographer (Christian Slater). The film also starred Kirsten Dunst as a young girl named Claudia who is turned. The film launched Dunst's career, and the movie itself was a huge box office success that broke the record for the biggest opening weekend of an R-rated movie at the time, according to The Numbers.

Forty-five years since the publication of Rice's novel, and 27 years after the premiere of one of the most well-known vampire movies in modern history, we have a revival on the small screen to enjoy. Here's what there is to know about "Interview with the Vampire," which premiered on October 2, 2022.

Jacob Anderson, better known as Grey Worm on "Game of Thrones," will be playing the lead role of Louis de Pointe du Lac. The journalist interviewing him, Daniel Molloy, will be played by Eric Bogosian. Sam Reid will play Louis' vampire mentor, Lestat de Lioncourt. The child vampire Claudia will be played by Bailey Bass (via IMDb).

We have also been given numerous details about those who will helm the show behind the camera. The first series will be headed by executive producer Rolin Jones. Anne Rice and her son, Christopher Rice, will serve as executive producers. Anne and Christopher will also be serving as executive producers on all future series and films as part of their agreement with AMC. 

Additionally, producer Mark Johnson, whose previous works include "Breaking Bad," will be in charge of developing the books as a "streaming and television franchise and universe," according to the Associated Press. Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios said in the AMC statement, "This story already has millions of fans in the U.S. and around the world, we can't wait to share this new interpretation of the classic brought to life by Rolin and Mark, as we continue to work on developing the entire collection."

The "Interview with the Vampire" TV series will closely follow the narrative of both Rice's original novel, as well as the 1994 film adaptation of it. So, like the book and the movie, the TV series will feature Louis de Pointe du Lac telling his life story to a journalist. He'll cover how he met the vampire Lestat in 1910 New Orleans and became a vampire himself. He'll also meet Claudia, the child who was turned into a vampire and lives a life of eternal youth. Eventually, Louis and Claudia travel to Paris where they meet up with a vampire coven led by the mysterious Armand. Armand was played by Antonio Banderas in the film, although it's unknown if the character will show up this season. 

Given the fact that both Anne and Christopher Rice are heavily involved in the production of the series, it is no surprise that the basis of the show will most likely rely heavily on the best-selling novel as its source material. Producer Mark Johnson even stated in the AMC press release that, "Having previously produced films from such singular works, I recognize both the responsibility and the obligation we owe the material."

The only notable change to the source material is that the interview sequence will be set in present day, adding more modern elements to the series.

Yes. AMC released an official trailer for Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" at ComiCon 2022 in July, and it gives us a good idea of what the series will look like. The trailer starts off with a disheveled Louis seeking sanctuary in a church, begging the priest to help him do something about the voice in his head. Then it introduces Louis proper. In 1910, he's a New Orleanian who operates a "diverse portfolio of enterprises," which sounds delightfully vague and not entirely legal. He dresses well and drives a car, so at least his businesses are lucrative. 

Then, the trailer introduces the blonde-haired and chiseled-jawed Lestat. Louis captivates him, and Lestat begins the hunt. When they meet, Lestat offers to help Louis discard his "life of shame" in exchange for a "dark gift." He just has to ask for it. The literal meaning is vampirism, but the subtext is abundant — that's why reviewers like TV Guide said the show was full of "sexy camp." 

Finally, the action returns to Louis in the church. He's come here to confess. He's "laid down with the devil," as he puts it. But before the priest in the confessional booth can respond ... well, without spoiling it, let's just say something shocking happens. 

If you want to get a "Vampire Chronicles" fix, you can check out the two movie adaptations of Anne Rice's works, the 1994 "Interview with the Vampire" film and 2002's "Queen of the Damned." 

Currently, "Interview with the Vampire" isn't available with any streaming platform subscriptions. It's available for purchase on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play, and Vudu, all for $3.99. "Queen of the Damned" is also unavailable with a streaming platform subscription, but can be purchased on those same five platforms for the same price — except for Vudu and Amazon Video, where it's a dollar cheaper. 

Of course, there are also Anne Rice's novels, which have continued far beyond the events portrayed in the movies. Published between 1976 and 2018, there are 13 novels in the original series, including:  "Interview with the Vampire," "The Vampire Lestat," "The Queen of the Damned," "The Tale of the Body Thief," "Memnoch the Devil," "The Vampire Armand," "Merrick," "Blood and Gold," "Blackwood Farm," "Blood Canticle," "Prince Lestat," "Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis," and "Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat."