Interview with the gay vampire
We’re now a month away from the premiere of the new AMC adaptation of Anne Rice’s beautiful vampire novel, Interview with the Vampire, so it’s a good time to discuss the potential for this exciting series.
Simply put, this version will be gayer than the film. This is a love story between Lestat and Louis. Unlike the subtly of the Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt movie, the series won’t shy away from the attraction and relationship between the vampire and his fledging.
The show runners have been very clear about what the series will be about. “It’s a bold love story between Lestat and Louis that dooms them, the seductive allure of New Orleans, and a family of three whose own selfishness can’t keep it together,” said executive producer Mark Johnson.
“He was my mentor, my lover and my maker,” Louis says in one clip from the show.
Another aspect of this new interruption concerns the timing and casting of an older actor to play reporter Daniel. It seems this is the second interview between Daniel and Louis, the first taking place back in 1973. The older and more seasoned reporter (played by Eric Bogosian), is able to interrogate the vampire rather than let him own the narrative.
According to the show runners, Louis’ memory might not be accurate, or at least his version may not be how Lestat would see it. Daniel decides to focus on a period in the relationship between the two vampires, the time between 1910 and 1940. We don’t know yet if their relationship was shifted forward in time, or did they stay together after the experience Louis had in Paris.
One trailer makes it seem Louis was living in 1910 New Orleans when Lestat began to ‘hunt’ him. We’ll have to wait until the show drops to get these answers. The same trailer ends with Daniel asking Louis how long he’s been dead, a response that will give us the timeline going forward (and when the first season is set)—has Louis been dead since 1910 and is it now 2022?
And just how long will the Interview with the Vampire series run? This will be up to AMC, but the writers have a lot of material to work from. Only about half the first book was used for the first season of seven episodes, suggesting at least one more season. Of course Lestat lives on in other books. Originally pitched as the Vampire Chronicles, AMC optioned Rice’s complete works, so the series could easily evolve into several shows beyond Louis & Lestat as the Vampire Diaries did (or for AMC, Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul).
Finally, one improvement of the series over the film will be that these vampires have much more noticeable and elongated fangs. Again the movie went for subtly, but we’ve already seen production photos and teasers showing Louis and Lestat with pronounced canines.
Interview with the Vampire premieres on AMC Sunday October 2. The series will also be available for streaming on AMC+ (no word how long after the broadcast). It’s also possible to subscribe to AMC+ outside the US, and show your support for the series.