Supernatural dramas are making a home at AMC with the Anne Rice Immortal Universe. The network acquired the rights to the late author’s literary catalogue in 2020, and in the years since have churned out two successful TV adaptations of some of her most famous works.
Interview With the Vampire premiered in October 2022 and quickly became a fan and critic favorite. Following shortly behind was Mayfair Witches, which also grew a quick fanbase. Both shows are set in different eras of New Orleans (being from the city herself, Rice set many a story in The Big Easy), while also incorporating flashbacks (in Mayfair‘s case) and flash-forwards (in Interview‘s) to other locales important to the tales.
For those unfamiliar with the books, the 1994 Interview With the Vampire film was a lot of fans’ entry into the Rice realm. But the Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, and Kirsten Dunst-led film isn’t the only film adaptation of her novels. The late Aaliyah and Stuart Townsend starred in 2002’s Queen of the Damned, based on The Vampire Chronicles installment of the same name.
In total, there are 13 books in The Vampire Chronicles and three in the Lives of the Mayfair Witches franchise. One common denominator through a slew of them: Lestat de Lioncourt. The vampire you love to hate is a common thread through Rice’s novels. He’s the main character of the Interview sequel, The Vampire Lestat, and he returns in Queen of the Damned. Lestat even meets Rowan Mayfair in Blood Canticle.
AMC could one day have the Interview and Mayfair characters meet. But we imagine the shows will take more time to establish themselves before Sam Reid‘s Lestat, Jacob Anderson‘s Louis de Pointe du Lac, and Daddario’s Rowan have even the chance to cross paths.
While we wait for the both of the new seasons (Interview starts filming in Europe in April 2023 and Mayfair kicks off production this fall), we’ve compiled a list of (dark) gifts for the Rice/Immortal Universe lover in your life. Our only regret is that AMC’s Louis and Lestat prayer candles are sold out.