'The Vampire Lestat': Cast, Release Date, & Plot, Explained
One of the best vampire shows on TV is coming back this month, but it has a pivotal rebrand. The first two seasons of Interview with the Vampire (2022) focused on the titular event with Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson). Therefore, the layered supernatural drama is inspired by Anne Rice’s 1976 book with the same title. Now, with its third season, the spotlight is on Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), who not only loved Louis but also turned him into a vampire.
The Vampire Lestat is inspired by the second book in Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles. So, it’s important to know that even though the show has a different name, it’s not an entirely new show. The Vampire Lestat is a third season of Interview with the Vampire, a continuation of that story with the same characters. The Vampire Lestat also has the same creative team. It’s executive produced by Mark Johnson, creator, writer, and showrunner Rolin Jones, Hannah Moscovitch, along with Christopher Rice and the late Rice. That detail is important in maintaining continuity for AMC’s Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe, which you can watch on AMC and AMC+.
Meet ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Cast
Of course, this season stars Sam Reid as the titular character. In the season’s trailer, Lestat even reintroduces himself, saying, “I’m the Vampire Lestat. It’s my era. I’m a rockstar now.” The trailer also puts that era into action with Lestat’s version of Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself.” Though the song is a definitive classic, it’s certainly having a bit of a resurgence thanks to The Vampire Lestat and Off Campus (2026). The two shows couldn’t be more different, but they certainly share an appreciation of music. I can’t wait to see all the performances in the season!
The Vampire Lestat also sees Jacob Anderson reprise his role as Louis. In an inside look at the season, Anderson says that his character is “in unhinged mode.” Meanwhile, Assad Zaman returns as “a bit more desperate, maybe a bit more bitter, a bit less in control” version of Armand. Eric Bogosian is also back as Daniel Molloy, whose book is about to come out. The cast and crew are being a lot more secretive about Delainey Hayles’s involvement as Claudia.
This season will introduce Jennifer Ehle as Gabriella, who has a 300-year-old complicated relationship with Lestat. The inside look provides some context, spanning from hundreds of years ago to the present. At one point, Gabriella tells Lestat, “My maker called for his momma, and I came,” which is such a succinct way to tease their characters’ complex dynamic.
What Is ‘The Vampire Lestat’ About?
This season, as previously mentioned, takes on a perspective change as it transforms from Interview With the Vampire into The Vampire Lestat. “As his band’s popularity and star power rise, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population,” per AMC Network’s synopsis of the show.
The titular character goes on tour with his band, which Reid says is to be expected of the vampire. “Lestat’s always been very involved with music. If he’s going to tell his own story, he’s going to do it in a performative way,” Reid shared in that inside look. In the trailer, Lestat describes his song as a rewrite of Daniel’s book. The footage from the season also reveals that The Vampire Lestat will get to know more about Lestat, going back to 1772 France with him.
It will also follow Lestat on and off stages across multiple cities. Writer and executive producer Hannah Moscovitch describes Lestat’s forming a band as a response to trying “to figure out how to feel about the fact that his ex has written a bestselling book about him in which he’s vilified.” In anticipation of The Vampire Lestat, AMC Networks and Lakeshore Records have released two tracks from the show: “Long Face” in February and “All Fall Down” in April. The original music and lyrics are created by the show’s composer Daniel Hart and performed by Reid
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Release Date
In March, AMC Networks and Lakeshore Records released “All Fall Down” alongside The Vampire Lestat’s release date. Hart described the song as “both the title track for the new season and the idea for a song by the Vampire Lestat from early in the band’s life.” The song is meant “to capture the overall feeling of this new Lestat we get to know better and better throughout the season: more wild, more raw, more self-deprecatingly funny than ever before.”
In such a very The Vampire Lestat way, the song’s release also came from the season’s main character–or the character who craves to be the main character. The Vampire Lestat said, "’All Fall Down' is mercifully only 68 seconds long. That’s 54 seconds more Daniel Hart than anyone should suffer. I like the harmonies on the chorus. I did those." That’s hilarious, meta, and perfect marketing that, hopefully, The Vampire Lestat maintains throughout the season. I have high hopes after The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only - LIVE in New York City.
This show knows what the people want, which is so exciting that it’s also launching The Vampire Lestat: After Dark. The companion series is hosted by writer, producer, and podcast host Lizzie Bassett and will feature conversations with the cast and crew. It launches with the season premiere and will release new episodes weekly, too. The Vampire Lestat premieres on Sunday, June 7 at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+.
