Australian actor Sam Reid has been cast as Lestat in AMC’s Interview with the Vampire show.
The show is based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name, which follows French aristocrat Louis de Pointe du Lac. In the book, he’s interviewed by a news reporter who seeks to understand Louis’ life as Vampire with his mentor Lestat de Lioncourt. Variety reports that this casting presents an advantageous deal for Reid because in Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles, Lestat appears across multiple books, so the actor could find himself in various series on the network.
AMC Networks acquired all the rights to The Vampire Chronicles and The Lives of the Mayfair Witches. Anne Rice and her son Christopher will serve as executive producers on all series and films developed under this agreement. Alan Taylor will direct the first two episodes, Rolin Jones will serve as writer and showrunner. Both men will serve as additional executive producers.
Interview with the Vampire will receive an eight-episode order and is eyeing a 2022 release date on AMC and AMC Plus. There are 18 books in the Vampire saga, including Interview with the Vampire, Queen of the Damned, The Vampire Lestat, and The Witching Hour. This will be the third time fans will see Lestat on screen. Tom Cruise gave a memorable performance in the 1994 Interview with the Vampire adaptation, and Stuart Townsend portrayed Lestat in the 2002 film Queen of the Damned.
The Vampire Chronicles always appeared episodic to me, so this seems like an excellent way to learn about the origin of all the characters involved and not feel rushed like the films were.
Any fans of Anne Rice out there? What do you think about a series adaptation?
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