Fans in the UK will finally get to see the continuing adventures of Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt Just over two months after the second season of Interview with the Vampire was released in the US UK fans now have a date to put in their calendars The first episode of season will officially air on BBC Two at 9pm on Thursday 1st August while the run will also be coming to BBC iPlayer on the same day The first season aired in the UK in October 2023, with the new adaptation of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles quickly developing a strong fan base The series stars Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid with Delainey Hayles taking on the role in season 2 Showrunner and creator Rolin Jones previously teased what fans can expect from season 2 saying: \"There are big plot moments that we're retaining from it that might be slightly different than what’s in the book and part 2 of the novel is episode 1 of season 2 we're going there and we're going to experience that We're going to see what coven life is all about and we have some more time than the movie or even the book \"We're continuing to make the interview part of this just as important as the flashback in that there are some very active things that are going to be happening in Dubai the idea of memory and what is true and what isn't true is a big player in season 2 What is to become of me now?' There's a lot!\" The series has already been renewed for a third season, with the next run set to adapt the second of Rice's novels, The Vampire Lestat Interview with the Vampire season 1 is available to watch on BBC iPlayer in the UK Interview with the Vampire season 2 UK air date finally confirmedFans in the UK will finally get to see the continuing adventures of Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt The first season aired in the UK in October 2023, with the new adaptation of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles quickly developing a strong fan base The series stars Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt and Joseph Potter as Nicolas in Interview with the Vampire. BBC/Larry Horricks/AMC Network Entertainment LLCShowrunner and creator Rolin Jones previously teased what fans can expect from season 2 saying: "There are big plot moments that we're retaining from it we're going there and we're going to experience that We're going to see what coven life is all about Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac and Delainey Hayles as Claudia in Interview with the Vampire BBC/AMC Network Entertainment"We're continuing to make the interview part of this just as important as the flashback the idea of memory and what is true and what isn't true is a big player in season 2 What is to become of me now?' There's a lot!" The series has already been renewed for a third season, with the next run set to adapt the second of Rice's novels, The Vampire Lestat James HibbsDrama WriterJames Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism you are agreeing to site title privacy policy This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Subscribe to RT!Subscribe to Radio Times magazine and get £10 issues for £10! Could your home unlock your dreams?Releasing equity from your home could help give you the retirement you've been dreaming of? Holiday brochuresNeed inspiration of where to go next Request a free brochure and start your journey own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment Lancaster University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK View all partners The question facing vampires Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) as season two of Interview with the Vampire launches on the BBC is: how can you stay relevant if you live forever Fail to adapt to the times and you will end up throwing yourself into the fire like the ancient Romanian vampire that Claudia meets in episode one – the tantalising promise of a new life in the new world too much to bear This is not a problem for series creator Rolin Jones. His adaptation of Anne Rice’s bestselling 1976 novel, largely greeted with enthusiasm by fans is successful precisely because it thoroughly overhauls Rice’s meditation on immortality to fit our own times Season one garnered plaudits for its complex treatment of queer sexuality These themes are all still very much present in season two It finds Louis and Claudia enjoying the lack of segregation and permissive sexual mores of postwar Paris even as they deal with the aftermath of their relationship with their vampire “sire” What is arguably most exciting about season two is how it reflects on the way we tell stories about ourselves in a mass media age It addresses our need to share our inner selves with an audience – and how we construct our public identities through different kinds of performances that may never quite be the truth vampire interviewee Louis complains of feeling like an outsider He is told by his companion Armand: “This is the very spirit of your age.” Louis embodies modernity and this is what makes him so attractive to the centuries-old vampires who must grasp their purpose in a rapidly changing world Jones’s decision to update the setting of the original novel from the late 18th and 19th centuries to the early 20th century means that Louis and Claudia’s arrival in Europe coincides with the embrace of modernism Louis tries his hand at photography – although it’s inconvenient not being able to shoot in sunlight He decides to go in for capitalism instead and discovers a penchant for dealing art that presumably helps fund his 21st-century hideout among the super-rich in Dubai a company using an innovative blend of live performance and projected animation to dupe the audience into believing that the ritual of vampiric predation they are watching is British tourists – who dress up as the vampires on stage and thrill when they are spattered with red corn syrup The Rocky Horror Show and its film adaptation were The Théâtre des Vampires is at the core of this season because it foregrounds the porousness of fact and fiction and the idea of storytelling and performance as ways of controlling the narrative it mirrors the theme of the series’ other timeline in which journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) interviews the present-day Louis for the scoop of a lifetime Rice’s decision to tell her vampire story in the form of an interview chimed with a postmodern embrace of “metafiction” – fiction about fiction or fiction that draws attention to its own status as writing The interview also updates an earlier gothic tradition of frame narratives (where a story is used to tell a story) and found manuscripts Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 story of a female vampire is presented as a medical case study of one of her victims Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) combines a series of firsthand accounts recorded via diary newspaper clipping and phonograph cylinder all collated by Mina Harker and her typewriter These conceits ostensibly prove the authenticity of the story – these are firsthand witnesses – but often simultaneously undermine it through unreliable narrators and conflicting accounts Season one of Interview with the Vampire enhanced the metafictional dimension of its source material by making Daniel a more active participant in the production of the narrative questioning and commenting on Louis’ story as he tells it Season two progresses further into metafiction by emphasising the potential of digital media to complicate our ideas of truth and privacy “How do vampires hide from Google?” Daniel asks a bemused Armand (Assad Zaman) A set of files deposited on Daniel’s laptop by an unknown hacker throws doubt on the veracity of the story so far when we discover what really happened when Louis first met Daniel back in the 1970s becomes a meditation on trauma and the reliability of memory This interview is more than just a recounting of the past but also what psychotherapy would call a form of “working through” This is more than eroticism and gore – although there is plenty of that to please those fans awaiting their drenching with corn syrup – it is hyperintelligent television But in case you thought it was all getting too dark – and dark this season certainly gets – the trailer for season three but he does it in his own irreverent style – in lime green marabou Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here Jul 29, 2024Ahead of Interview With the Vampire Season 2 finale AMC announced that Interview With the Vampire Season 3 is in the works “Thank you to the brilliant casts and crews of the first two seasons that got us to this day," series creator writer and showrunner Rolin Jones said in a statement beautifully unwell fandom that scaled the castle walls to get us to this day Ben Davis for the funds and tools to continue the great work of dramatizing Anne Rice's extraordinary novels And sincere apologies to the family and friends of actor Sam Reid for the possession that continues to this day Monsieur L extends his promise to return his body upon cancellation (may that evening never come." Here's everything to know about a third season of Interview With the Vampire plot and more—but beware of Interview With the Vampire Season 2 spoilers ahead Related: Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Anne Rice's Vampires Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac Assad Zaman as Armand and Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt in Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" No premiere date has yet been set for Interview With the Vampire Season 3 but watch this space because we legit cannot wait Related: What to Know About Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches Who is in the Interview With the Vampire Season 3 cast?Several new characters will be introduced in Interview With the Vampire Season 3 as well as Those Who Must Be Kept (Akasha and Entil) whose castings haven't yet been announced Here's who we're pretty sure will return for the third installment Sam Reid as Lestat de LioncourtSam Reid as The Vampire Lestat De Lioncourt in "Interview With the Vampire" Season 3 Sam Reid will reprise his role as the preternaturally beautiful, terrifyingly charismatic, addictive vampire Lestat de Lioncourt Season 3 will focus heavily on his character and his character's story from his own point of view as opposed to his story being told by and through Louis we see Reid as "Rockstar Lestat," and oh my Related: The Sexiest Vampires of All Time Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du LacJacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac in Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" Game of Thrones alum Jacob Anderson will return as Louis de Pointe du Lac following the explosive Season 2 which saw him question his memory after being manipulated and gaslit by Armand Assad Zaman as ArmandAssad Zaman as Armand in Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" conniving but still somehow cute vampire who corrupted Louis and Daniel's memories for the sake of controlling their narratives Related: How to Read Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches Books In Order Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy in Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" "And then what happened?" Eric Bogosian is back as the quasi-Anthony Bourdain-coded interviewer extraordinaire Daniel Molloy We're looking forward to hearing more of his story as well as his experiences with the Talamasca (and his impatience and shady remarks to and about Armand) we can hear Bogosian's Molloy behind the camera as he interviews Lestat Related: Eric Bogosian Presents 100 Monologues Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt and Joseph Potter as Nicolas de Lenfent in Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" Nicolas de Lenfent was a huge part of Lestat's life generally regarded as Lestat's first love and their relationship may be explored further in Season 3 Gopal Divan as Dr. Fareed BhansaliEric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy and Gopal Divan as Dr Fareed Bhansali in Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" Fareed Bhansali's part is set to be somewhat expanded in Season 3 so expect to see Gopal Divan reprising the role Related: The Best Vampire Names Justin Kirk as Raglan JamesJustin Kirk as Raglan James in Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" Raglan will have a more prominent role in Interview With the Vampire Season 3 with Justin Kirk likely coming back for the Talamasca agent role he originated in Season 1 (There's also going to be a Talamasca spinoff Christopher Geary as SamChristopher Geary as Sam and Assad Zaman as Armand in Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" Christopher Geary will return as playwright vampire Sam who was heavily inspired by Samuel Beckett (remember Waiting for Guido?) in Season 2 Related: The Best and Worst Horror Movie Remakes of All Time Bally Gill as RashidEric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy and Bally Gill as Rashid in Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" It's also possible that some vampires and mortals who didn't survive Seasons 1 and 2 may reappear in Season 3 flashback scenes especially as the story gets told increasingly through Lestat's lens Is Interview With the Vampire on Netflix?Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt in Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire" AMC will add several of its TV series to the platform eventually including Interview With the Vampire Seasons 1 and 2 Related: The Best Vampire Movies of All Time, Ranked Where is Interview With the Vampire Season 3 streaming? You'll be able to stream Interview With the Vampire Season 3 on AMC+, Shudder and Hoopla. If you have a cable subscription or AMC as an add-on to a streaming service, you'll also be able to watch on AMC.com. Prior seasons will be added to Netflix as well starting on Aug How many episodes is Interview With the Vampire Season 3?No episode count has been announced yet Did they cancel Interview with the Vampire?Sam Reid as Lestat De Lioncourt in "Interview With the Vampire" Season 3 pretty baby: Interview With the Vampire is coming back for a third season but there is a teaser—and good Lord can Sam Reid do an immortal rock god like nobody's business we hear Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) begin an interview with Lestat in his rockstar era Lestat makes it clear that he believes he's doing everyone a favor merely by showing up (albeit quite late) with his attorney Molloy thanks Lestat for tickets to the previous night's show, and Lestat isn't thrilled about the goblet on the table next to him. He warns the crew that their soundman is dehydrated, flips through Molloy's book and cracks that his name is Justin Bieber When Molloy asks what Lestat thinks of the book Molloy—likely under Lestat's control—begins coughing uncontrollably (Keep an eye out for a tattoo with an important message AMC also released a lyric video for Lestat's track "Long Face," sung by Reid—and the tune has some Easter eggs about his relationship with Louis sprinkled throughout Next, The Best Horror Movie Quotes of All Time for season two of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire on AMC and AMC+.Save this storySave this storySave this storySave this storyA charming emotionally conflicted New Orleans hustler-turned-vampire His precocious teenage sidekick/foil/stand-in daughter enemies others—feasting on unsuspecting humans sensuous setting for a timeless saga of love Welcome to season two of AMC and AMC+'s Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire The contemporary reinvention of Anne Rice’s revolutionary gothic novel takes place 40 years after the original interview depicted in the book and movie It finds journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) interviewing self-loathing vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) in the latter's resplendent Dubai estate Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire stays true to the source material while weaving a new story as well “Anne Rice is always going to be the blood of this show,” Anderson says “Our Louis is slightly different than book Louis but I was conscious of keeping Rice’s writing alive it becomes a subconscious thing that you hold on to and it’s always there to refer back to if you need.” Louis and 14-year-old vampire Claudia (Delainey Hayles in season two) teamed up to murder their creator Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) after realizing that the charming and romantic yet cruel and impulsive vampire was too manipulative to live another day Season two picks up with Louis and Claudia emerging in post-World War II Europe the younger vampire desperate to find others of their kind on their own without Lestat,” Anderson says “It initially seems like a good idea for both of them but it also highlights their differences in quite a big way.” They blitz through Romania before reaching Paris where they've heard others reside offering endless possibilities as the city rebuilds but we find that it’s a crueler place as well,” Anderson says of season two’s setting Louis and Claudia find kinship at the playhouse plots to use Armand's new obsession against him The former famed actor of the Théâtre des Vampires is none other than the poisoned Lestat Can Louis and Claudia keep their betrayal of the elder vampire a secret The action in season two bounces back and forth between 1940s Paris and the present-day interview and Armand offer witty banter and repartee Their charged tête-à-tête is revealing and “I took up photography...as a hobby,” Louis explains showing an album of photographs.“Vampires with hobbies rolling his eyes at his longtime lover.“Killing time when you weren't killing Parisians,” Molloy concludes in jest revealed at the end of season one to have been manipulating the interview all along takes a more prominent role while Molloy must treat Louis as a hostile witness and unreliable narrator He’s breaking down and his own memory isn’t reliable to him anymore He’s really vulnerable.” The verbal dance of the interview in Dubai takes on a life of its own a compelling break from the hustle and bustle of Paris Assad Zaman as Armand and Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire continues addressing more serious themes as well The series embraces queer identity whole cloth portraying complex relationships between characters and even more complex relationships with the mortal “Vampires are so tied to humans but they are also monsters,” Anderson says “Anybody who has been othered or felt othered in their lives can relate to feeling like a monster or feeling like they are not accepted in the social norms.” depicting Louis's struggle and reluctance to embrace vampirism feasting on rats and birds rather than the human blood he needs to survive saved from death in season one but condemned to eternal life as a result that ain't a goddamn bastard.” How will she balance having the body of a child with the experience of a nearly immortal soul It's a show that asks big questions in clever ways and the rest of the Théâtre des Vampires gang go on a madcap motorcycle ride around Paris the ethos of season two is on full display “The rumbling beast of the moveable feast.” Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire season two premieres May 12 on AMC and AMC+. Stream the first season now on AMC+. In New Orleans, a city shaped like a soup bowl and situated between one and 20 feet below sea level the presence of the dead — and the ghosts that linger — is part of the everyday atmosphere This location, which Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) refers to as "the humidified daughter of Paris" on "Interview with the Vampire," is the perfect setting for Anne Rice's Immortal Universe — AMC's re-imagining of her most beloved works — because For vampires like Lestat and his fairweather fledgling and lover Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), loneliness And it's easier to beat in New Orleans the veil is pierced and all manner of torment is imaginable As evidenced in the finale, "And That's The End of It There's Nothing Else," which completes the two-season arc of Rice's debut novel and lays the groundwork for "The Vampire Lestat," the second installment of her "Vampire Chronicles," which Season 3 will While AMC's adaptation of "Interview with the Vampire" has strayed from the source material here and there — but not nearly as bad as in "Mayfair Witches" — it remains true to one main theme: Lestat's love of Louis was never fully reciprocated And because he couldn’t get Louis to return his affections he made attempts to "break him." But Louis fled from his attempts to make amends or at least his efforts to get back to having hot coffin sex.  The story of the first 70 or so years that the two spent together in New Orleans has been told mostly by Louis — with a fair amount of mind-bending influence from his rebound who helps to edit the memory of Louis' entire vampiric existence up to that point and the role Claudia (Delainey Hayles) played in creating a wedge in his and Lestat's already fragile bond we'll get to hear the story from Lestat's side Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter The flip-flopping of perspective in both the first and second seasons of "Interview with the Vampire" is a two-way mirror allowing us simultaneous narratives of Louis and Lestat's ties — however toxic and from whomever's point of view — as it's experienced in both New Orleans and Paris like The Upside Down in "Stranger Things," what we see of Paris is a warped and distorted version of how they actually are the camera pans to the right to reveal a vision of Lestat with a pained expression on his face after hearing these words But as this isn’t Lestat in the flesh what we’re actually seeing is Louis’ own pain reflected back at him. Because as much as he’d like Claudia to believe that what he’d said was true whether in the forefront of his intention or in the back where Lestat calls out for him — and returns to wait for him in the season finale — as keeper of the ghost of their union.  Louis has previously referred to Lestat as being "for Lestat." But he has that — like so many other things — very wrong We come to see clearly in these two seasons that Louis is "for Louis." Putting his own needs and wanderings above all else resulting in the untimely death of who he claims to love the most Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt in "Interview with the Vampire" (Larry Horricks/AMC) The first and second seasons of "Interview with the Vampire" position Louis and Lestat as bookends — two lovers who meet in New Orleans and spend their time pushing against each other in the hope of filling the gap between them and in their own selfish and gluttonous hearts — reuniting at the end to bury what they had just like the previously mentioned pre-1804 caskets the two reunite in New Orleans in a full circle moment the structure of which is rattling from a hurricane blowing outside This moment contains an immense amount of visual symbolism and the house it takes place in is VERY important Fleeing Paris — the city he spent his formative years in as a mortal — Lestat returns to New Orleans and secludes himself in this house haunted by the memory of Claudia and the relationship with Louis that he mourns being unable to fully wrap his arms around which begins the story of "The Vampire Lestat," he'll emerge from it (well growing to embrace the modern world he's "re-born" in.   as production for Season 2 was coming to an end NOLA Twitter was abuzz with images like the one above shared by locals who joined the crew to make this season's pivotal end scene in New Orleans come to life via exterior shots of Lestat's sad house and shots of Louis smirking at incorrect information relayed during a modern-day ghost tour but in Prague — standing in for both the mother of New Orleans and the city itself — a lot of the magic fell on the shoulders of production design I was able to glean some intel on how Lestat's Creole cottage was fleshed out so perfectly in interior shots filmed thousands of miles away and how they arrived at the location for the brief on-site filming in New Orleans for exterior shots.  “I designed the set off of standard proportions and materials of the Creole Cottage," production designer Mara LePere-Schloop wrote in an email to me. "The team went out to look for historic creole cottages we could make look abandoned and on a street we could simulate a hurricane on and found several around town but the one that really sang to me was in the Treme neighborhood on (1509) Dumaine Street I thought the Treme house would make the most sense for Lestat as it is the closest neighborhood to where Storyville used to stand We worked to make the house look derelict and abandoned on the exterior so that it matched the level of decrepitude we had established in our built interior set in Prague The New Orleans unit was on Royal Street at our hero location (the exterior townhouse) from Season 1 and at Dumaine Street for the reunion house.” As AMC expands its adaptation of Rice's Immortal Universe with the announcement of another series, "The Talamasca" — continuing the story of Raglan James (Justin Kirk) and the rest of the society tasked with researching investigating and tallying paranormal beings around the world — Lestat will be the focus as the handsome vampire turned rock star (literally) who will be targeted from all sides for violating one of the coven's major rules exposing his true nature to the entire world via a world tour.  waiting to blow the house down and expose Louis for what he is Kelly McClure is Salon's Senior Culture Editor, where she helps further coverage of TV, film, music, books and culture trends from a unique and thoughtful angle. Her work has also appeared in Vulture, Vanity Fair, Vice and many other outlets that don't start with the letter V. She is the author of one sad book called "Something Is Always Happening Somewhere." Follow her on Bluesky: @WolfieVibes Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com Associated Press articles: Copyright © 2016 The Associated Press While UK fans of Interview with the Vampire had a long wait for season 1 The series has already aired in the US, but it's coming to the BBC in the UK very soon, with the release date finally being announced As we catch up with Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) we can expect more heightened emotions as the vampire continues to recount his life story Based on Anne Rice's bestselling novel, the series ties in with the 1995 film and stars Sam Reid as the manipulative Lestat de Lioncourt, Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac and Bailey Bass as Claudia (although the latter will be played by a different actress for season 2) With season 1 ending on quite the revelation Here's everything you need to know about Interview with the Vampire season 2 Interview with the Vampire season 2 will be released on Thursday 1st August 2024 The first episode will air at 9pm on BBC Two and all eight episodes will also be available on BBC iPlayer on the same day Speaking on the announcement of season 2, president of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, said (via Variety): \"This stellar cast deliver powerful performances that emotionally connect us to these characters and their humanity \"We look forward to sharing the final product of this extraordinary effort with audiences in just a few short days and are thrilled that this story will continue \"This is only the beginning of an entire universe featuring enthralling stories and characters that capture the spirit of Anne Rice’s amazing work.\" In terms of plot, there's plenty more to look forward to in season 2 after the shock ending of season 1 While the series has already aired in the US Speaking about what fans can expect in season 2, showrunner and creator Rolin Jones said: \"There are big plot moments that we're retaining from it \"We’re going to Europe and part 2 of the novel is episode 1 of season 2 Interview with the Vampire season 2 will be available to watch on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Thursday 1st August Season 1 is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer Interview with the Vampire season 2 release date The series has already aired in the US, but it's coming to the BBC in the UK very soon, with the release date finally being announced Based on Anne Rice's bestselling novel, the series ties in with the 1995 film and stars Sam Reid as the manipulative Lestat de Lioncourt, Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac and Bailey Bass as Claudia (although the latter will be played by a different actress for season 2) With season 1 ending on quite the revelation Here's everything you need to know about Interview with the Vampire season 2 "We look forward to sharing the final product of this extraordinary effort with audiences in just a few short days "This is only the beginning of an entire universe featuring enthralling stories and characters that capture the spirit of Anne Rice’s amazing work." In terms of plot, there's plenty more to look forward to in season 2 after the shock ending of season 1 we won't be sharing spoilers here for now we do have some teases for what's to come Speaking about what fans can expect in season 2, showrunner and creator Rolin Jones said: "There are big plot moments that we're retaining from it Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac and Delainey Hayles as Claudia in Interview with the Vampire season 2 AMC Network Entertainment,Larry Horricks"We’re going to Europe and part 2 of the novel is episode 1 of season 2 "We're continuing to make the interview part of this just as important as the flashback Delainey Hayles as Claudia and Roxane Duran as Madeleine in Interview with the Vampire season 2 ,AMC Network Entertainment,Larry Horricks"Then Morgan CormackDrama WriterMorgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer Claudia and Lestat are returning in season 2 While season 2 of Interview with the Vampire has aired across the pond in the US, UK fans are gearing up to continue the story of Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) as he recounts his previous life and romantic past with Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) Based on the bestselling novel by Anne Rice the series chronicles Louis and Lestat's epic story of love and we follow it through the former's interviews with journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) A UK release date was recently revealed for season 2 – but if you're wondering which cast members will be back for the second run we've compiled everything you need to know below At least one major character has been recast for the second run with Claudia star Bailey Bass replaced by Delainey Hayles while Ben Daniels has joined the cast as Santiago for the new season But who's who in this new drama? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Interview with the Vampire season 2. Alternatively, check out everything you need to know about Interview with the Vampire season 3 after new details were revealed at San Diego Comic Con You can find the cast members for Interview with the Vampire below but scroll on to find out more about the main ensemble and where you've seen them before Louis begins season 2 downtrodden and guilty after the loss of Lestat He and Claudia are on their travels - but how long will she need him for Where have I seen Jacob Anderson before? The actor and musician (under the alias Raleigh Ritchie) is best known for his role as Grey Worm in Game of Thrones and has also starred in Broadchurch, Doctor Who and 2008 film Adulthood Lestat turned Louis into a vampire in season 1 but he'd had this throat slit by Louis and was on his way to a landfill on the back of a dump truck – but surely that's not the end of the vampire he's haunting Lestat in nightmarish visions The Australian actor is best known for his roles in Lambs of God He has also appeared in numerous British dramas like Endeavour A young teenager who Lestat turns into a vampire to save her life forming a fatherly bond with the pair – until she figures out Lestat's manipulative ways The end of season 1 saw the pair kill Lestat and flee from him but season 2 may see Claudia outgrow Louis It has not been confirmed why Delainey Hayles replaced Bailey Bass Avatar star Bass previously released a statement confirming her departure She said: “Due to a variety of unforeseen circumstances I’m unable to return to Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire for the second season \"Playing Claudia has been a dream role and an incredible ride I wish Delainey the best of luck in taking over This is Hayles most major role to date – but she previously appeared in six episodes of Holby City and one of ITV drama Too Close Molloy has a chequered past and works as a journalist he continues his interview with Louis and Armand Where have I seen Eric Bogosian before? Bogosian has been in a number of acclaimed TV and film releases, including Succession The man we knew as Rashid throughout season 1 turned out to be the vampire Armand and the man Louis introduced as the love of his life in the finale episode the manipulative Armand appears to be supervising Louis's interview The British actor has starred in Apple Tree Yard as well as stage productions of East is East Santiago is the leading thespian of the vampiric troupe the Théâtre des Vampires who is increasingly suspicious of Louis and Claudia Daniels has appeared in a number of TV shows including Cutting It Rashid is Louis and Armand's servant – the man Armand posed as throughout season 1 Bally Gill has appeared in Slow Horses as Agent Singh Celeste is one of Théâtre des Vampires' thespians particularly with the London-based company 1927 Estelle is one of Théâtre des Vampires' thespians Gustave is also one of Théâtre des Vampires' thespians Interview with the Vampire is Jake Cecil's first TV role Duran starred in the TV series Marie Antoinette in 2022 and starred in the Palme d'Or-winning 2009 film The White Ribbon Sam Barclay is the Théâtre des Vampires' playwright in residence Where have I seen Christopher Geary before Geary previously voiced the character of Alden Carruthers in the Red Dead Redemption games Quang Pham is Théâtre des Vampires' projectionist and swing actor Phagnasay is best known for his role in Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and has appeared in various other films and TV shows as well as being a director and producer Tuan Pham is Théâtre des Vampires' projectionist and swing actor and Quang's biological father Interview with the Vampire is Nguyen's first TV role Based on the bestselling novel by Anne Rice the series chronicles Louis and Lestat's epic story of love and we follow it through the former's interviews with journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) A UK release date was recently revealed for season 2 – but if you're wondering which cast members will be back for the second run we've compiled everything you need to know below But who's who in this new drama? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Interview with the Vampire season 2. Alternatively, check out everything you need to know about Interview with the Vampire season 3 after new details were revealed at San Diego Comic Con but scroll on to find out more about the main ensemble and where you've seen them before AMC Network Entertainment,Larry HorricksWho is Louis de Pointe du Lac Where have I seen Jacob Anderson before? The actor and musician (under the alias Raleigh Ritchie) is best known for his role as Grey Worm in Game of Thrones and has also starred in Broadchurch, Doctor Who and 2008 film Adulthood Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt in Interview with the Vampire season 2 AMC Network Entertainment,Larry HorricksWho is Lestat de Lioncourt he'd had this throat slit by Louis and was on his way to a landfill on the back of a dump truck – but surely that's not the end of the vampire he's haunting Lestat in nightmarish visions Delainey Hayles as Claudia in Interview with the Vampire season 2 AMC Network Entertainment,Larry HorricksWho is Claudia forming a fatherly bond with the pair – until she figures out Lestat's manipulative ways She said: “Due to a variety of unforeseen circumstances I’m unable to return to Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire for the second season "Playing Claudia has been a dream role and an incredible ride Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy in Interview with the Vampire AMC Network Entertainment LLC,Alfonso BrescianiWho is Daniel Molloy Where have I seen Eric Bogosian before? Bogosian has been in a number of acclaimed TV and film releases, including Succession Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molly and Assad Zaman as Rashid in Interview with the Vampire AMC Network Entertainment LLC,Alfonso BrescianiWho is Armand the manipulative Armand appears to be supervising Louis's interview Ben Daniels as Santiago in Interview with the Vampire season 2 AMC Network Entertainment,Larry HorricksWho is Santiago Daniels has appeared in a number of TV shows including Cutting It Bally Gill as Rashid in House of the Dragon season 2 All Rights Reserved,Larry HorricksWho is Rashid Rashid is Louis and Armand's servant – the man Armand posed as throughout season 1 Suzanne Andrade as Celeste in Interview with the Vampire AMC Network Entertainment,Larry HorricksWho is Celeste Celeste is one of Théâtre des Vampires' thespians Esme Appleton as Estelle in Interview with the Vampire season 2 AMC Network Entertainment,Larry HorricksWho is Estelle Estelle is one of Théâtre des Vampires' thespians Jake Cecil as Gustav in Interview with the Vampire season 2 AMC Network Entertainment,Larry HorricksWho is Gustave Gustave is also one of Théâtre des Vampires' thespians Interview with the Vampire is Jake Cecil's first TV role Delainey Hayles as Claudia and Roxane Duran as Madeleine in Interview with the Vampire season 2 ,AMC Network Entertainment,Larry HorricksWho is Madeleine Éparvier and starred in the Palme d'Or-winning 2009 film The White Ribbon Christopher Geary as Sam in Interview with the Vampire season 2 AMC Network Entertainment,Larry HorricksWho is Sam Barclay Sam Barclay is the Théâtre des Vampires' playwright in residence Tuan Pham as Yung and KP Phangnasay as Quang Pham in Interview with the Vampire season 2 AMC Network Entertainment,Larry HorricksWho is Quang Pham Quang Pham is Théâtre des Vampires' projectionist and swing actor Tuan Pham is Théâtre des Vampires' projectionist and swing actor and Quang's biological father Interview with the Vampire is Nguyen's first TV role While appearing on PEOPLE in 10 with costar Sam Reid Anderson says fans will "feel a huge amount of satisfaction and catharsis" from the AMC series' sophomore season What is time to an immortal? “Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire” cannot help but ask versions of that question as it applies to individual figures or encapsulates the species’ dilemma.  day-to-day and year-to-year particulars cease to concern them epochs and waves of cultural change wash over them But Louis hasn’t been undead for that long He’s still furiously treading the waters of his guilt to keep from drowning in it That anchors him to his years and times more firmly than most The bulk of “Interview of the Vampire” stares into the past through the eyes of unreliable narrators all of whom want to present themselves as more noble and heroic than they are or at least to have the reader’s understanding if not their benediction If that were all this show offered, to paraphrase the crescendo of one of Anderson’s impassioned monologues in the second season premiere, maybe that would be enough. Rice’s “Vampire Chronicles” are broadly known and loved after all. Already there are fans on subreddits wondering when and whether characters from future novels will make an entrance But creator and showrunner Rolin Jones’ inspired changes keep us guessing, along with altering much of the plot’s subtext  Casting Black actors to play Louis and Claudia (first played by Bailey Bass portrayed this season by Delainey Hayles) opens “Interview with the Vampire” to explorations of race and class exploitation that were never present in Rice’s books.  But the times more palpably sway the story in these new episodes Ridding themselves of Lestat frees Louis and Claudia they journey to Eastern Europe in search of Old World vampires who can help them figure out who they are supposed to be Since Jones sets the story in the early 20th century a time of mass death and destruction.  What sounds like the ideal vacation for a blood drinker is anything but Preying on the weak suits her lack of concern for human morals although we only see her eviscerate Nazi border guards and Soviet soldiers occupying the Romanian village where they eventually land.  Interview With the Vampire (AMC)Nevertheless In New Orleans they slept in luxuriantly lined coffins Here they hide from the sun in muddy graves Louis says he can never feel warm – a common complaint among vampires but in a land ravaged by cruelty it depletes instead of nourishes.  Since AMC’s drama follows the basic contours of the tortured relationship Louis Lestat and Claudia share in Anne Rice’s 1976 novel its readers have some sense of how this eight-episode second season progresses.  The seduction of this new season is in the ambiguity of its characters’ true aim and the changeable nature of their desires Louis and Claudia terminated the agonized trap in which Lestat caught them at the end of Season 1 but, unnaturally this is not the end of their dealings with him Neither does it simplify the love triangle they navigate, one fraught with distrust and worry and gorgeous in its sensual gothic splendor.  Lestat haunts Louis, his figment traipsing beside him as he and Claudia roam the miserable dark, searching for clues about where they come from in an ancestral sense to compensate for what their maker denied them. The rift between him and Claudia is only wider and her resentment toward him for cursing her to be trapped in an adolescent body even more caustic.  But some of that is an effect of the blood.  In “What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned,” Louis and Claudia land in Romania at the end of the war where a villager named Emilia (Stephanie Hayes) takes them in trading vodka and cigarettes for shelter with the rest of her people. A British journalist named Morgan (Blake Ritson) is among them rogue German soldiers who don’t realize they’ve lost the vampires in this part of the world are sickly and barely sentient a shriveled crone to whom Claudia offers hope and a few drops of her blood The elder rapturously likens the offering to cream from the top of a milk bucket we see a small taste of life in this place where humans survive on soup and a few shreds of decency but cannot shake the specter of fear “Interview with the Vampire” and stories like it are outsider tales; the monsters live among humans but function on society’s margins.  that’s even more the case although Louis’ refusal to accept that is what draws us and his reluctant biographer Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) to him and seals him in his misery Hence when Morgan assumes Louis is either a Communist or a deserter in trying to figure him out his self-characterizations as “a magical vodka Negro having the first alright night in quite a while” is mildly droll and lamentable But these are humans emerging from a long tunnel of hatred and deadly prejudice only to replace them with other hatreds and prejudices.  there’s too much sadness,” Louis tells Daciana “Too much pain.” Someone else puts it more plainly: “They don’t want life anymore.” This reading of Louis and Claudia’s lineage allows writer Hannah Moscovitch to transform a station along the characters’ development track into an apologue about war and misery Moscovitch posits that if the old vampire world is rotten that is less an effect the organic obsolescence time causes than the necrosis imposed by rampant inhumanity.  Interview With the Vampire (AMC)Rice’s book is a bloody moving journey through loneliness and regret – enough to hold us for a few episodes if the showrunner were to have taken a more literal route. Inviting a deeper reading suggests this adaptation aims to extend its lifespan by appealing to fears and philosophies haunting us now The kind of rancor and bitterness that ushered forth World War II poisons us too That makes it more of a relief to see Louis and Claudia abandon the sepia grimness of Eastern Europe for a Paris that is reawakening One assumes the prey tastes better for the usual reasons.  But the despair strangling Romania is not too distant from that place either regardless of how forward-looking it may be It stalks the City of Lights like Lestat’s apparition stalks his lover although “Interview with the Vampire” makes us content to slow it down for a while "Interview with the Vampire" premieres at 9 p.m Melanie McFarland is Salon's award-winning senior culture critic. Follow her on Bluesky: @McTelevision The following contains spoilers for "Interview with the Vampire" Season 2 Episode 2 "Do You Know What It Means to Be Loved by Death" Comparing the writing in AMC's adaptation of Anne Rice's 1976 debut novel "Interview with the Vampire" to that of the network's ambitious but clumsy reimagining of her "Mayfair Witches" series is which would have been evident – even left unsaid The difference is like watching a well-costumed high school performance based on a beloved work or in the case of "Interview," watching with the feeling that the original creator is behind every shoulder Finding an opportunity to, once again, sit at a table surrounded by Rice's perfume-scented journals  – revision pages marked with rusty paper-clip indentations and day planners filled with every tip she ever left a server accounts of most of the meals she ate each night and notations of the alcoholic beverages she tried not to drink most evenings – I found myself moved to tears Having to lean back from the table several times to avoid dripping on the stacks But as I flipped through hundreds of her pages – including a first draft of "Interview with the Vampire" that had been kept in her office in her home in New Orleans in a keepsake box I imagine being similar to Lestat's – I couldn't find the origins of the letter read in this episode leaving me to conclude that the show's writers, Jonathan Ceniceroz and Shane Munson With the help of the show's team of publicists I was able to hear back from the writers about this “We felt it would be totally romantic if Lestat left an 'open upon my demise' letter to Louis and yet one that signals that he may still be alive in some way 'waiting on the other side,' etc." Ceniceroz and Munson said in a response via email. "Moreover we wanted to introduce Pierre Roget as a character and having Louis visit his office would most likely reveal some documents or objects of Lestat's left under Roget's care which could be an unexpected way for Louis to confront their fateful romance early on in Paris.”  In response to my prodding on how they were able to nail Rice's writing style so perfectly "We were reading the books and keeping them forever close The letter speaks to love's otherworldly (dare I say It is a double-edged sword of hope and despair for Louis." “Rice’s influence is a flickering candle "but we can choose which areas of the room to illuminate."  has ever given me the sort of emotional goosebumps Rice has But Ceniceroz and Munson pulled it off with this: the fact that we both now exist in two different worlds Do not waste your life seeking revenge on the person or persons who did this Do not give them the satisfaction of the hunt Let treachery eat away at them from within A veil will now forever separate our union face pressed up against your longing.  Hearing Lestat — not his physical form, but Louis' memory of him — read this letter, it's easy to not only imagine Rice writing the words, but saying them herself, as she, also, now exists in a different world. In the literal sense, she rests in the Rice family mausoleum in New Orleans' Metairie Cemetery although she didn't live long enough to see it I slid into Christopher's DMs on X (Twitter at the time) to share with him a story I'd written about "Interview with the Vampire" last season and received this response: "Dear Kelly Thanks so much for writing and for reaching out and for your kind words about Anne It's always deeply moving to hear how others were affected by her passing I have no comment on the series and must direct all inquiries to AMC Hope you are well and enjoying this spooky fall season it says a lot about his feelings towards the series I hold on to hope that he gives it another chance But I can only imagine how difficult it must be to — perfect or not in his eyes — be haunted by the memory of her in this way when at the start of my research at Anne's archives for this article Christopher sent out an email regarding preparations for a massive celebration of her life the planning for which has been underway for some time now.  "We know there’s a long and glittering reputation of lavish nighttime costume balls celebrating Anne’s life and legacy," He writes in the email "Anne’s Celebration of Life is going to be a complement to those wonderful parties but we are envisioning ours to be a daytime multimedia theatrical event where the stage will play host to a variety of musicians and speakers all of whom will join together to tell the story of Anne’s dazzling life and legacy That’s why we’re taking the time to make it perfect."  With her name permanently tattooed on my arm and her words indelible in my heart and mind I do know what it means to be loved by death friends and family do as well as we wait for this celebration of her life, faces pressed up against her longing.  and a journal entry from 1974 where she writes "It's just before 4am on Monday morning Perhaps I'll go in and add something terribly essential But right now I want to enjoy the moment of being finished." Further down "I feel that even the writing of this entry is important — I dream imagine that this will be my first published work and I do not run the risk of being misunderstood." as he speaks in this episode of the importance of time and leaving your mark on life with creative pursuits Describing it as: “Wrestling time to the ground is all but a whisper from Anne herself.  Copyright © 2025 Salon.com, LLC. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. SALON ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. Associated Press articles: Copyright © 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. That’s the irresistible promise made to Louis de Pointe du Lac a Black business owner and a closeted gay man living in the Jim Crow South in “Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire,” on AMC A lustily unfaithful adaptation of Rice’s 1976 novel of the same name the historical fantasy drama is the first television series based on the author’s work including “Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches,” set to début in January.) “Interview” marks an auspicious start to this I.P venture; by taking lavish and clever liberties with the source text the series may well surpass Rice’s vision in resonance and complexity Louis is a white Louisiana plantation owner who is turned into a vampire by Lestat de Lioncourt a manipulative opportunist to whom the “fledgling” nonetheless feels a draw that he cannot explain set in a gleamingly re-created New Orleans in the nineteen-tens and in the mid-pandemic present mesmeric relationship between Louis and Lestat overtly queer (The director Neil Jordan’s shoddy 1994 film adaptation which starred Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise as Louis and Lestat has been accused of blanching the story of its homoerotic subtext owing to the screenplay written by Rice.) The show’s reimagined Louis (Jacob Anderson) is an urban striver surrounded by possibility yet stifled at every turn a relatively enlightened émigré from France fumes at Louis’s social condition: “This primitive country has picked you clean!” In a swoon of infatuation and white saviorism believing that this will empower his companion But it takes the Frenchman a long while to realize what his lover understands intuitively: not even immortality supersedes race “Interview” explores which powers a Black vampire can or cannot wield in a segregated America Louis can slaughter a man for making a racist comment but he can’t overthrow an old boys’ club with the means and the connections to systematically bankrupt Black entrepreneurs like himself This crushing reality creates a rift between him and Lestat who presumes that he’s given Louis the ultimate gift: a way to opt out of racism and homophobia by checking out of society altogether he only clings more firmly to the tatters of his humanity (“You chase after phantoms of your former self,” Lestat scolds in the series’ gracefully curlicued dialogue.) Of course Louis wants to stay close to his mother (Rae Dawn Chong) and his sister (Kalyne Coleman) His partner either does not understand what it is to be Black or is too detached from earthly concerns to care “Interview” would be compulsively watchable were it merely a study of a toxic interracial relationship the series is a gothic domestic soap—Lifetime themes gussied up in Southern finery are largely devoted to the curdling of Louis and Lestat’s romance an ecstatic honeymoon followed by the drip-drip of erosive disappointment The midseason introduction of Claudia (Bailey Bass) a fourteen-year-old whom Louis and Lestat kill When Claudia temporarily takes command of the voice-over narration the insatiable baby vamp gleefully positions herself as a humming horror-movie villain luring a police officer to his death dressed in a sailor blouse with ribbons in her hair and the confusion she experiences between her sexual appetites and her bloodthirst leads to predictably disastrous consequences watching her fathers with an adolescent’s unsparing gaze finally alerts Louis to the slow-boiling pot that’s become his “marriage.” where Louis recounts his story to a journalist It’s easy to imagine this Louis—or any version of him—spending much of the twentieth century searching for someone who can hear the woe in his cross-Continental adventures Rice’s journalist was mostly a function of the novel’s framing device: a “boy” too callow to understand Louis’s many regrets (The character was played by Christian Slater in the movie in what was arguably the production’s most egregious casting failure the onetime heartthrob with the fiendish grin and the Mephistophelian eyebrows ends up playing a harmless weirdo instead of a seductive villain.) Here the journalist is Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) once prominent reporter whom Louis encountered half a century ago in San Francisco (Their last meeting didn’t go well; Daniel’s attempts to interview Louis ended with puncture wounds in the writer’s neck.) The resumed sessions take place at Louis’s home: a penthouse apartment that admits limited sunlight in the daytime And he intends to expose the existence of vampires a mission that’s sure to get him killed by members of his own kind It’s a credit to the scripts that the testy conversations between journalist and subject are as engaging as the scenes of Louis’s transformation from mortal to (self-loathing) monster melancholy era of vampire entertainment that’s finally caught up with Rice’s most poignant insight: that the isolation intrinsic to a life outside society and time renders vampiredom In FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows,” the bloodsuckers are latter-day Norma Desmonds: self-important has-beens so out of touch with the modern world that they would have perished long ago if not for the interventions of their self-effacing familiar And in Showtime’s garishly unsubtle remake of “Let the Right One In,” a father’s all-consuming dedication to his vampire child sucks the life out of him—and still doesn’t guarantee anything beyond her immediate survival Vampirism spurs an identity crisis in Louis who goes from being trapped in the closet to being trapped in Lestat’s coffin in which the mediation that journalism offers is often bypassed Louis’s desire for a writer to narrate his experiences initially seems like an obligatory throwback But one soon gets the sense that Louis is in need of an interlocutor—or just a therapist—to help him make sense of his life particularly the choice of passion that ultimately stripped him of whatever freedom he had in the first place His plight is a wonderfully capacious metaphor especially for those in marginalized groups for whom liberation is often a more fraught endeavor who came to prominence playing Daenerys Targaryen’s eunuch general Grey Worm in “Game of Thrones,” has embodied romanticism repressed by sombre principles this time with the benefit of actual characterization feels like witnessing a star rising in real time “Interview” flits through many modes—tragic inspires unshakable confidence as the series’ through line especially in serio-camp scenes like the one in which he explodes while recalling an encounter with his sister’s baby: “I almost ate my nephew Lestat!” Anderson manages to make Louis’s ever-heavier guilt engaging But even the actor’s wounded charisma can’t make up for the series’ most glaring flaw: the sense of intimacy we lose when the action in this decades-spanning saga constantly jumps ahead to the “important stuff,” instead of offering a sense of its characters’ daily lives “Interview” strives to be the burgundy velvet chaise longue of TV shows: an artful and inviting kitsch object that might reawaken our senses if we allow ourselves to get lost in it It’s only fair that we’d want to luxuriate a little longer A long-ago crime, suddenly remembered A limousine driver watches her passengers transform The day Muhammad Ali punched me What is it like to be keenly intelligent but deeply alienated from simple emotions? Temple Grandin knows The harsh realm of “gentle parenting.”  Retirement the Margaritaville way Fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Thank You for the Light.”  Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use Here's what Interview with the Vampire star Jacob Anderson thought of all those 'Colored Only' memes "There's some irony attached to it because Lestat is.. he's in there," Anderson laughs alongside Sam Reid in a new interview with Out AMC's beloved (and queer AF!) horror period drama Interview with the Vampire has awakened a brand new generation of devoted fans of the franchise, originally created by Anne Rice in the 1970s — and the conversation around the show is even spawning memes online! One of the most widespread memes is of Louis (played by Jacob Anderson) dramatically hanging up a sign that reads "COLORED ONLY No Whites Allowed" on his business. Out took the time to ask Anderson, and his costar Sam Reid, about the meme in an interview ahead of the series' season 2 premiere this Sunday. "I love that," he tells Out. "I love that. Obviously, there's some irony attached to it because Lestat is... he's in there," Anderson laughs before repeating a line from the show. "He ain't white, he's French." "It's amazing. That's like my favorite kind of engagement with [the fans]. It's a different kind of taking something into their heart, when somebody can use it to help other people relate to a feeling or something they want to express. I'm a big proponent of memes and GIFs. I prefer them to words." Reid then revealed the two sometimes have whole conversations in GIFs, and Anderson reenacted his favorite GIF that he uses from an inside joke between the two. Interview with the Vampire season 2 premieres this Sunday, May 12 on AMC. Taylor Henderson is a pop culture nerd. Lives for drama. Obsessed with Beyonce's womb. Tweets way too much. Print In an unusual move Discovery’s streaming service Max is offering shows from cable network AMC for two months this fall Max announced Monday it will launch a “programming pop-up” from Sept 30 that will offer 200 episodes of AMC programming The pop-up, called “AMC+ Picks on Max,” will include episodes of “Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire,” “Killing Eve,” “Dark Winds,” “Fear the Walking Dead” and four other series. The move is an attempt by AMC to get its programs sampled by more consumers as cord-cutting is shrinking its traditional cable business and the growth of its own streaming services have stalled. The two companies have no common ownership and have not partnered in the past. AMC Networks, known for such hits as “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead,” is a free-standing publicly held New York-based media company controlled by Charles Dolan and his family, which owns several cable networks. In a statement, Dan McDermott, president of entertainment, AMC Studios and AMC Networks, described the move as a promotional arrangement. “AMC Networks makes great shows, and our goal is to bring these shows to as many people as possible, in ways that best serve viewers,” McDermott said. Hollywood Inc. a newsletter about the business of entertainment AMC Networks has several subscription streaming services of its own but it‘s still largely dependent on its traditional cable channels AMC is under pressure as consumers are dropping their pay TV subscriptions in favor of streaming services While AMC Networks has touted its own streaming business — it owns AMC+, Shudder, ALLBLK and Acorn — it’s a minor player compared with WBD’s Max AMC reported having 11 million streaming subscribers at the end of June WBD says it has around 96 million subscriptions across its services Max combining the content from streaming services HBO Max and Discovery+ under the shortened moniker The name change was part of Chief Executive David Zaslav’s efforts to broaden the audience for the company’s 3-year-old online video service. AMC was one of the early beneficiaries of streaming on Netflix, as it saw a TV ratings lift for “Breaking Bad” when early seasons of the series showed up on the service while new episodes continued to air on the network. The company is hoping it can replicate that formula by offering the first season of its western “Dark Winds” on Max and generate interest in the second season currently on AMC. Stephen Battaglio writes about television and the media business for the Los Angeles Times out of New York. His coverage of the television industry has appeared in TV Guide, the New York Daily News, the New York Times, Fortune, the Hollywood Reporter, Inside.com and Adweek. He is also the author of three books about television, including a biography of pioneer talk show host and producer David Susskind. Business Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Short/AMC.Save this storySaveSave this storySaveSince the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897 vampires have been a nearly constant object of pop-cultural fascination with each creator putting their own stamp on the…condition a toy line/upcoming live-action kids’ movie on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ reminds us of what many romantic versions of vampire “life” decorously keep off-screen: vampires can be psychopaths Adapted by Rolin Jones (HBO’s Perry Mason) from Anne Rice’s book series the show revolves around titular vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) he met up with journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) to tell his story Molloy—who’s entered the online-master-class phase of his writing career—receives a surprise delivery of the original cassette tapes: Louis still lives (or “lives”) Molloy travels to Louis’s lavish Dubai apartment to interview him again and learns that since the last time they spoke Whereas the book (and the 1994 movie based on it) place Lestat and Louis’s first meeting in 1791 the show introduces us to still-human Louis in 1910 though this Louis is no longer a widower whose wife and child did not survive labor (as in the movie book Louis is mourning the death of his brother); nor is he a plantation owner with dozens of enslaved laborers; nor is he white The Louis of the show is a Black Creole red-light proprietor who operates several “sporting houses” in Storyville a recently arrived Lestat sees Louis capably (and violently) defending his business interests in the street and is moved to buy a town house in the French Quarter to remain near him Louis gets competitive when Lestat outbids him for the sex worker Louis visits to repress his “latencies,” but soon understands that Lestat is most interested in seducing Louis Lestat makes the offer Louis can’t resist: “I can swap this life of shame—swap it out for a dark gift and a power you can’t begin to imagine.” But the new show is not coy about the nature of Louis and Lestat’s relationship: After Lestat has turned his lover Vampirism has metaphorically represented now-waning ideas of queerness—a forbidden desire to which one ecstatically surrenders ending up outside society’s bounds as a consequence Making Lestat and Louis’s sex life an unambiguous part of this story disentangles Louis’s horror at his thirst’s collateral damage from the shame other versions of the character have evinced about sexual interests only (broadly) hinted at Louis and Lestat settle into domesticity and have the same disputes all couples do How do you balance the demands of one’s family of origin with the needs of one’s chosen family How do you manage when one partner adopts a new diet (as when Louis decides he’s no longer going to take human life Lestat doesn’t care what Louis thinks of his murders) How often is too often to attend the opera we simply must applaud the commitment.) Lestat is an aesthete a card sharp—whatever he needs to be to fulfill his ultimate goal as a serial murderer Not since Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal Lecter has a fictional character killed with such purpose and artistry Jacob Anderson has the harder job: As Louis the note he most often has to play is tortured anguish This is especially true after he rescues Claudia (Bailey Bass) from a fire—too late for her to have escaped injury and enmeshing Louis more fully into their chosen family in the process (It may not shock you to learn that a girl whose mind keeps maturing while her body stays 14 turns out to be kind of a handful.) Present-day Louis is less active but shows more emotional depth through his resentment against Lestat and to his desire for “truth and reconciliation.” This Louis has the unhurried manner of someone who has felt every one of his years We’re told that Molloy has his own regrets and urgency: an addict now long in recovery he’s being treated for Parkinson’s disease; even getting on a plane during the COVID-19 pandemic is a risk in his condition to make Molloy seem extra-modern opposite a character who came of age in a different century sarcastic dialogue feels like it belongs to a different show the interview scenes of Interview With the Vampire comprise comparatively little of its content; Sam Reid’s Lestat How Miriam Adelson Went From Big MAGA Winner to Casino Loser in Trump’s First 100 Days Trump’s Lies Are Finally Catching Up to Him The UK Has Found Another Reason to Be Mad at Meghan Markle “It’s About Him”: How Trump Is Perverting the Presidential Photo Stream The Ballad of Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson The Truth Underlying Pete Hegseth’s Job Security Why Are Americans So Obsessed With Protein How Sebastian Stan Became Hollywood’s Most Daring Shape-Shifter Every Quentin Tarantino Movie Meet Elon Musk’s 14 Children and Their Mothers (Whom We Know of) From the Archive: Sinatra and the Mob (Alfonso Bresciani |AMC) Sam Reid as Lestat Du Lioncourt and Jacob Anderson as Louis De Pointe Du Lac in "Interview with the Vampire." I am inclined to applaud when producers make television shows more inclusive When they cast actors of various ethnicities And that includes casting characters of ethnicities different from what those same characters may have been in source material There’s no indication, for example, that “House of the Dragon’s” Velaryon family is Black in the book, “Fire and Blood.” But there’s no indication they aren’t. So casting Black actors as Velaryons is not just fine, it’s kind of great. Particularly because it’s not a plot point, it just is. And yet … I was troubled to learn that Black actor Jacob Anderson (“Game of Thrones”) had been cast in the new “Interview with the Vampire” series as Louis de Pointe du Lac. Nothing against Anderson, but in Anne Rice’s novel, Louis was born in France in the mid-18th century and immigrated to Louisiana, where his family owned a plantation. Lestat de Lioncourt preyed on Louis’ family slaves after turning Louis into a vampire in 1791. Yes, there were Black people who owned slaves, but this seemed stretching the Rice reality to the breaking point. At least to someone who’s as obsessed with her vampire and witches novels as I am. I should not have worried. There have been some major changes to this version of “Interview,” beginning with the time period. This adaptation takes place in 2022, as opposed to the mid-1970s. And the flashbacks begin in 1910, about 120 years later than the flashbacks in the book. So, no, Louis doesn’t own a plantation or slaves. In this update, he’s believable as a Black man in the early 20th century South, and the frustrations created by that provide him motivation. The TV series captures the spirit of the novel without being a slavish recreation of it. Creator/writer/executive producer Rolin Jones said that when AMC executives “tasked” him with turning the novel into a series, there were “a number of things they wanted — make it here and now, make it big and grand.” And the series certainly seems headed in that direction. It is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The sets and costumes are amazing. Jones said he doesn’t look at “Interview” as a horror show, but as a “Gothic romance. And I want to kind of write a very excitable, aggressive, toxic, beautiful love story.” (Alfonso Bresciani | AMC) Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt and Jacob Anderson as Louis de Point du Lac in "Interview with the Vampire." At least in the five episodes screened for critics, this “Interview” skillfully slides along the knife’s edge between Gothic horror/romance and over-the-top campiness. (This differs from Daniel’s fate in the later novels.) (Alfonso Bresciani | AMC) Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy in "Interview with the Vampire." In flashbacks, we see Louis as the angry son of an upper-class Black family in 1910. We see him meet and fall under the spell of Lestat (Sam Reid), who turns Louis into a vampire. The two have great chemistry, which drives the story and makes even the most unbelievable scenes weirdly believable. Let’s just say they work. And fans of Rice’s books should be pleased. You could even argue that the TV series improves on the book in at least one way. In the novel, Louis was morose and often annoying. We saw Lestat through Louis’ eyes, and he was not the character we later fell in love with. We didn’t start to get the full picture of him until Rice’s second book in the Vampire Chronicles, “The Vampire Lestat.” In this TV series, “You get a more nuanced version of him. which Anne certainly developed over 18 books,” Reid said. (Alfonso Bresciani | AMC) Bailey Bass as Claudia in "Interview with the Vampire." Other changes are coming. The character of Claudia, the child vampire who first appears in episode 3, has been aged up — again. She was 5 in the book; 10 in the 1994 movie; and she’s 14 in the series (played by 19-year-old Bailey Bass). It was one thing to have a decades-old vampire with adult desires be trapped in the body of a 5-year-old in the book — that’s not something you’d want to try to pull off in a TV show. But even huge fans of Rice’s books, if they just open their minds a bit, will enjoy this adaptation. It’s certainly true to the spirit of the book. And, like the book, it’s violent, bloody, shocking, sexy and profane. It’s rated TV-MA for a reason. For a lot of reasons. Season 1 of “Interview with the Vampire” corresponds roughly to the first half of the book; season 2 will correspond to the second half of the book. And AMC’s plan is to give us a lot more than that. Not only is an adaptation of “The Mayfair Witches” scheduled to debut in a month, but AMC has the rights to the two “Witches” sequels and 14 more vampire books. The plan is to make all of them into TV series. So we could be talking about new shows years from now. But one at a time. “Interview with the Vampire” is worth checking out, even if you’ve never read one of Rice’s novels. As for the adaptation of “The Mayfair Witches,” well, I have some serious concerns about that one … The premiere of “Interview with the Vampire,” which runs 79 minutes, airs Sunday on AMC — 8:06 and 11:31 p.m. on Dish and DirecTV; 11:06 p.m. and 2:31 a.m. on Comcast. “Interview” will also stream on AMC+ beginning Sunday. BYUtv’s sketch comedy show “Studio C” celebrates its 10th anniversary with its 181st episode — streaming Sunday and airing on Monday — which will feature John Heder (“Napoleon Dynamite”) as a guest star. You could argue that “Studio C’s” best days are behind it, and I wouldn’t argue with you. Which may be why original cast members Jason Gray, Dalton Johnson, Garet Allen and Arvin Mitchell are rejoining the show. And original cast members Jeremy Warner and Natalie Madsen will direct episodes. And “compilation episodes” will feature sketches from past seasons. The 10th anniversary episode will start streaming on the BYUtv app on Sunday at 12:01 a.m. MDT, and will air on BYUtv on Monday at 5 p.m. MDT. The actual 10th anniversary of the show premiere is Saturday, Oct. 8, but … close enough. Editor’s note • This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism. 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