AMC Expanding Anne Rice Immortal Universe With New Series
AMC is developing a new series based on Anne Rice's fictional secret organization The Talamasca which will tie in to their other current Rice adaptations.
It has certainly been a terrific year to be an Anne Rice fan as some of the legendary author’s most beloved pieces of work have been coming to live-action scripted life thanks to AMC. The network that brought its fans both the Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead universes are back in full force with what they’re calling the Anne Rice Immortal Universe. In 2022, AMC launched a series version of both classics Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches and, according to Variety, they plan to move forward with a new project surrounding the Talamasca.
The third installment in Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe won’t necessarily focus on one book like the previous two projects have but will instead center on the eponymous secret organization whose job is to stay on top of the supernatural world and keep humans safe from its seedy underbelly. The Talamasca show up in a slew of Rice’s works so AMC has a lot of material to work with for their latest show. While nothing is yet set in stone, it’s very much expected for the network to give the series a green light for production crews to get to work.
As for who will be behind the series, The Blind Side and The Alamo co-scribe John Lee Hancock would serve the on-screen adaptation of Anne Rice’s tales about the Talamasca as its writer and showrunner. Along with his penchant for penning terrific stories, John Lee Hancock’s name is also attached to films including The Founder and The Highwayman as their director. Aside from Hancock, no other mentions of a creative team or cast members have been announced but judging by the names attached to the universe’s other two titles – which are only continuing to grow in popularity – we would guess that stars will be lining up to audition.
First making the jump from page to screen in Neil Jordan’s 1994 classic, Interview with the Vampire has been a piece of pop culture legend for almost three decades. Starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Christian Slater, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, and Thandiwe Newton, the film was a massive success and even spawned the follow-up 2002 feature Queen of the Damned, led by the late Aaliyah. With so much popularity surrounding Anne Rice’s classic tale of the undead, the biggest shock is that it took this long for the story to be re-adapted for the small screen.
Renewed ahead of its first season premiere, AMC’s Interview with the Vampire was the spark that ignited the fire on Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe. Happy to start fresh with a reimagining of the film they all love so much, fans were quick to tune in for the TV series led by Game of Thrones alum Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid. Hoping to churn out a second season as quickly as possible, the title is currently filming the next chapter in Prague.
Likewise, Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches was also a massive hit for the network with The White Lotus star Alexandra Daddario appearing as a young neurosurgeon who comes to discover that she’s the next in line in a family of powerful witches. With added names like Jack Huston and Harry Hamlin, the series was an immediate hit for the loyal fandom. Cameras are expected to begin rolling on the show’s second season later this year in New Orleans.
