SDCC 2025 Event Highlight: Vampire Lestat's Official Press Conference
In the world of AMC, the gothic horror drama genre is set to be redefined with the upcoming series, The Vampire Lestat. Based on Anne Rice’s second book in The Vampire Chronicles series, this new show takes a fresh perspective, focusing on Lestat de Lioncourt, played by Sam Reid, and his transformation into a rockstar vampire in the 1980s.
The series is not a continuation of Interview With The Vampire, but a standalone show that delves into Lestat’s struggle for identity. Showrunner Rolin Jones describes Lestat as going through an identity crisis between the performative vampire and the actual vampire. As he achieves fame with his band, Lestat grapples with his search for meaning and purpose beyond fame.
The internal conflict of Lestat is not the only focus of the series. The narrative also explores his efforts to challenge Louis's account of their shared history, flipping the public story. The consequences of Louis's interview being published incur the ire of other vampires globally, adding to the external supernatural tensions.
The series expands the supernatural universe introduced in Rice’s novels, with the return of key characters like Claudia and the introduction of new characters like Gabriella and factions such as the Talamasca. The Queen of the Damned, the first of their vampire kind, is expected to appear in the series, but the actress playing the role has not been revealed yet.
The music in the series, composed by Daniel Hart, plays a significant role in Lestat's self-expression and introspection. Hart reveals that Lestat has written songs about the fallout of his relationship with Louis. The music opens him up to a dangerous level of questioning, leading him to hide much of himself from Louis, a dynamic that ultimately results in a catastrophic outcome.
Jacob Anderson plays Louis de Pointe du Lac in the series, while Eric Bogosian plays Daniel Molloy, recruited to document Lestat’s musical side of the story. The new season opens with Lestat and Louis in separation proceedings with their lawyers, suggesting a seeming reconciliation from the previous season of Interview With the Vampire was short-lived due to Molloy publishing a book.
The teaser for the new season hints at the influence of Akasha's blood within Lestat, raising questions about whether it could be driving his thirst for the unknown and his pursuit of "the really, really big things," which may include attempts to end his life or reach a new state. However, Sam Reid, who plays Lestat, remains coy about the extent of Akasha's influence on his character's behavior.
The Vampire Lestat returns in 2026 on AMC, promising to broaden the scope of the Immortal Universe by incorporating more characters and storylines from Anne Rice's novels, blending vampire mythology with the glamour and turmoil of rockstar life. The series remains a gothic horror drama with strong themes of identity, power, and legacy.
- Ionic (io9) has highlighted the upcoming AMC series, The Vampire Lestat, which delves into the glamorous world of rockstar vampires in the 1980s, promising a fresh perspective on the gothic horror drama genre.
- Gizmodo notes that in the new series, The Vampire Lestat, technology plays a significant role, as the music, composed by Daniel Hart, reflects Lestat's self-expression and introspection, with songs written about his complicated relationship with Louis.
- In the world of entertainment, AMC's The Vampire Lestat is not just a television show, but a journey into the future of the Immortal Universe, with the return of famous characters like Claudia and the introduction of new ones like Gabriella, blurring the lines between movies-and-tv and literature.
