AMC+ had exciting news for subscribers with a surprise launch for their new series Interview with the Vampire, a new take on the Anne Rice book that was released in 1976. The original film Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles is a classic, leaving some big shoes to fill. With one episode released and 8 more to come, this new series is just as exciting, though it takes some twists and turns that I’m not sure die-hard fans will be quick to accept.
Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm from Game of Thrones) takes on the role of Louis du Pointe du Lac, played by Brad Pitt in the original. This series is directly related to the film, this Louis is the same one from 1994, so there are some changes to the character. This time around, our Vampire has reached out to the same reporter, played by Eric Bogosian—originally Christian Slater—and if you remember correctly, that meeting didn’t end very well. Molloy has lived a life since then, and comes to the meeting defensive, brash and all business.
In this continuation, Louis’ backstory has changed. No longer from a lavish life, du Pointe du Lac’s story starts with him being an “entrepreneur” of sorts, a thief and a pimp. It’s implied that a lot of what Louis said in the first interview was untrue, and this interview would be different. Now, I haven’t read the novel (or other Vampire Chronicles) since high school, so my memory may be fuzzy, but something about rewriting the whole story frustrates me as a fan.
“…the first episode of Interview with the Vampire had me fully engaged”
With only the first episode released, it feels like a cheap excuse to reboot the series. Something about taking a very popular story and literally throwing it out the window just to use the name and characters irks me. For the sake of this review, I’m going to set this aside and hope the next 8 episodes will compensate for that.
In all honesty, the first episode of Interview with the Vampire had me fully engaged. There is the perfect amount of drama, sex and action that you would expect from an Anne Rice novel brought to the screen. Louis’ new storyline brings a different level of sadness to the character, and I’m looking forward to where it goes from here.
Lestat de Lioncourt is played by Sam Reid. I didn’t love the casting of Tom Cruise in the original Interview with the Vampire, and I wasn’t thrilled with this casting either…until about halfway through the episode. To me, Lestat is supposed to be entrancing and irresistible, but outside of Stuart Townsend in Queen of the Damned—which isn’t a great portrayal, but to me a more seductive choice—he always seems to be cast as someone who is more unique looking rather than beautiful.
“I’m very much looking forward to how Louis progresses in Interview with the Vampire, and what else Anderson can bring to the table.”
Though I started off unsure about Reid filling the role, somewhere around the poker scene, he won me over, as he did Louis. Watching Reid transform from arrogant to cunning to monster to lover convinced me that he will do Lestat justice. How the story progresses when Claudia is introduced remains to be seen.
Anderson’s portrayal of Louis in Interview with the Vampire is still puzzling to me, because this isn’t the Louis we know. His role in Game of Thrones was a man of very few words, but still a very powerful character. The difference between his past, unrefined self, and the man that he is in 2022 is vastly different. In the present, he is eloquent but fierce, and I’m looking forward to getting to know this new Louis. Being introduced as a cold, tough man, and transitioning into the sadness we see inside him is devastating. I’m very much looking forward to how Louis progresses in Interview with the Vampire, and what else Anderson can bring to the table.
The new Interview with the Vampire series on AMC and AMC+ may have some work to do in winning over fans of the books or the original film, but there is something special here. With 9 episodes releasing starting on October 2nd, I’m excited to see how the story is portrayed, and what changes are made along the way.