In 2020, AMC announced they gained the rights to Anne Rices The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches series. The deal happened prior to Rices death in 2021, so it is not clear what her involvement was in the development of the first projectan Interview with the Vampire television show.
I first read Interview with the Vampire as a young teenager and it instantly shaped my lifelong love of pansexual vampires. To this day, the vampire Lestat is one of my all-time favorite literary characters. Yet, the Interview with the Vampire film and the proceeding sequel, Queen of the Damned, did not do nearly as well as the Vampire Chronicles book series did. As a side note, I am still bitter they never attempted the novel The Vampire Lestat since that is my favorite of all the books and went between the two films they made. Why did they skip it?!
Because of my past disappointments, I had little hope for this series. But after seeing the actors cast in the show and watching the recently released teaser trailer, I am actually looking forward to it! Here is everything we know about the upcoming show.
Louis de Pointe du Lac Jacob Anderson, who is best known for playing Grey Worm on Game of Thrones (or as he is called by Jonathan Van Ness, Little Baby Barack Obama), will play Louis. The novel begins with Louis telling the boy (later in the series he gets the name Daniel Molloy) about his life as a vampire. It starts when Lestat de Lioncourt chose Louis as his consort. Louis is beautiful and sad, something that keeps Lestat eternally hooked.
Lestat de Lioncourt Sam Reid (Anonymous) will play Lestat. A French vampire who comes to New Orleans looking for a new lease on the afterlife, he feels Louiss humanity will bring him into the new era. Lestat has a dark humor that no one understands. He feels everything deeply, love and hate, but reveals nothing to those around him.
Claudia Newcomer Bailey Bass will play vampire-child, Claudia. Although the actress looks to be in her late teens, the character is supposed to be a very young child. Her innocent look dupes her victims into trusting, not knowing she is a cold-blooded killer. There is no official word, but I can imagine they aged the character up for practical (and possibly problematic) reasons. Lestat found orphaned Claudia and made her into a vampire to keep Louis with him, so they would be a proper family.
Daniel Molloy Eric Bogosian (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) will play Daniel Molloy. In the novel, Louis only refers to him as the boy. So I find it amusing that in this context, a man in his early thirties will play Louis, and the boy is a man almost seventy. Daniel interviews interesting people and takes a particular shine to Louis, wanting to know his story.
The original story began at the end of the 18th century in New Orleans. Louis owns a profitable Indigo plantation. He meets an enchanting vampire named Lestat, who offers him immortality. The two become locked forever in an angsty and beautiful romance filled with so many communication and intimacy issues.
The teaser trailer, and all the officially released pictures, seem like the show takes place much more recently during the Jazz Age (1920s-1930s). This could mean several things. Either Louis doesnt become a vampire until later, or the plot explores this portion of their lives as opposed to the earlier times. In many ways, the Jazz Age is much more funit has its own fantastic soundtrack, and those tailored suits look lovely.
At the end of the teaser, it said the shows premiere date for Fall 2022 on AMC. Just in time for some Halloween viewing.
Last year I started re-reading the novel and, honestly, it wasnt as good as I remembered it being. Since its publication in 1976, a lot has changed in our worlds and many parts did not age well. Rices romanticizing of southern plantations and queer-baiting would not be as well-received today. Even since the movies, gay romances (like the one that played out in the books between the two main vampires) have become more mainstream. So I am hoping with all of my (vampire-loving) soul that AMC has the guts to take the series and make it betterfinally giving fans the love affair between Louis and Lestat we have all been waiting for.
(featured image: AMC)
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Link:
Everything We Know About AMC's 'Interview with the Vampire' Series 2022 - The Mary Sue
Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith
