Your First Look at The Vampire Lestat & Immortal Universe's Future!

Get ready, creatures of the night! New York Comic Con 2025 just dropped a coffin full of exciting news for Anne Rice's Immortal Universe, revealing fresh faces, extended footage, and what's next for Lestat and the mysterious Talamasca.

TL;DR

• Sheila Atim Joins as Akasha: The "Queen of the Damned" is officially cast for The Vampire Lestat Season 3.
• Lestat Takes Center Stage: Season 3, now titled The Vampire Lestat, will follow Sam Reid's rockstar vampire on tour, telling his side of the story.
• Talamasca: The Secret Order Premieres Soon: The new series delving into the secretive society kicks off October 26, 2025.

New York Comic Con Unveils Bloody Good Secrets from the Immortal Universe

New York Comic Con 2025 was an absolute feast for fans of Anne Rice's Immortal Universe, and trust us, we're still buzzing! AMC Networks brought out the big guns, showcasing exclusive footage and spilling all the tea (or should we say, blood?) on the upcoming seasons of The Vampire Lestat and the brand-new series, Talamasca: The Secret Order. It's clear that the gothic world of Anne Rice is expanding in truly wild and unexpected ways.

The panel, moderated by TV Insider's Damian Holbrook, featured an incredible lineup including executive producers Mark Johnson and Hannah Moscovitch, and fan-favorite cast members Sam Reid (Lestat), Jacob Anderson (Louis), Eric Bogosian (Daniel), Assad Zaman (Armand), and Jennifer Ehle (Gabrielle). They gave us a deep dive into what's coming, and it sounds like our beloved vampires are in for some serious drama, rock 'n' roll, and maybe even a little therapy... vampire style, of course.

Meet the New Queen of the Damned: Sheila Atim Joins the Cast

Perhaps the most anticipated news of the night was the official casting of Akasha, the original vampire often called the "Mother of All Vampires" or "Queen of the Damned." Stepping into this iconic role is none other than Sheila Atim, known for her powerful performances in films like The Woman King and series such as The Underground Railroad. Her portrayal of the Egyptian vampire who first blessed Lestat with his powers is bound to be captivating. Akasha was previously played by Aaliyah in the 2002 film Queen of the Damned.

But Akasha isn't the only new blood joining the cast! The panel also announced several other additions to The Vampire Lestat, hinting at the expansive world the series is building:

• Noah Reid (from Schitt's Creek!) as Larry
• Ryan Kattner (of Destroy All Neighbors) as Salamander
• Seamus Patterson (from Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities) as Alex
• Sarah Swire (seen in The Boys) as TC

We're also reminded that we'll be seeing Bruce (Damon Dauno) back for the first time since Season 1, along with Magnus (Damien Atkins). Plus, Moses Sumney is joining as Louis's lawyer, which means some truly dramatic legal battles are on the horizon!

Lestat's Reckoning: A Rockstar's Takeover in Season 3

Season 3 of Interview with the Vampire is officially being retitled Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat, and that's not just a name change – it signals a massive shift in perspective! Showrunner Rolin Jones teased that the show will "feel like Lestat just hijacked the show," moving away from Daniel Molloy interviewing Louis. Get ready for a much more "fcking impulsive and erratic and wild" ride!

"You should imagine that aesthetically, and just the way the show feels and moves will feel like Lestat just hijacked the show. You will not feel like a 148-year-old guy talking to a 78-year-old guy anymore. That’s not happening."

— Rolin Jones, Showrunner

The extended first look unveiled at NYCC confirms this new direction. We see Sam Reid's Lestat fully embracing his rockstar persona, fronting a band on tour. Why the sudden musical career? Well, it seems Lestat isn't too thrilled with how he was portrayed in Daniel's book, Interview with the Vampire. In a hilariously relatable moment from the teaser, Daniel shows Louis Lestat's copy of the book, defaced with angry scribbles like "NEVER FCKING HAPPENED!" Lestat's tour is his way of setting the record straight, telling his own story.

The season will dive deep into Lestat's psyche, forcing him to confront centuries of repressed emotions and trace his origins, including the tumultuous relationship with his mother, Gabrielle (Jennifer Ehle).

"She kind of creates chaos. She kind of thrives in creating it. She’s had so little agency in her life, and she was married at 15 to somebody she didn’t choose. He was horrible, and she had no hope, but she had this boy, and she had her hopes in him in a really fcked up way. Several really fcked up ways."

— Jennifer Ehle, on playing Gabrielle

Don't worry, Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Daniel (Eric Bogosian) are still very much part of the narrative. The preview shows Louis and Daniel discussing the fallout from the published book, which Louis apparently didn't consent to. This sets up an "interesting dynamic" between them, especially after Louis's near-death experience.

"The book was released without Louis’ consent... I think it sets up a really interesting dynamic between them because ultimately Louis trusted Daniel, and Daniel trusted Louis, and Louis didn’t stop him from being killed and resurrected."

— Jacob Anderson, on Louis's feelings after the book's release

Executive producer Mark Johnson promises a season that is "so unpredictable and so surprising... wild and unexpected and jaw-dropping and funny and yes, like the first two, really romantic." They're drawing inspiration from multiple Anne Rice novels, including The Vampire Lestat, Merrick, The Vampire Armand, and The Queen of the Damned, all filtered through Lestat's own memories and perspective.

Talamasca: The Secret Order — Premiering SOON!

While Lestat is busy rocking out, the Immortal Universe is also introducing us to a whole new corner of Anne Rice's world with Talamasca: The Secret Order. This six-episode series is set to premiere very soon, on Sunday, October 26th, with a two-episode debut on AMC and AMC+.

The show introduces us to Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton), a young law student recruited by Helen (Elizabeth McGovern), a representative of the mysterious Talamasca. This secretive agency is tasked with monitoring and protecting humans from the supernatural – a job that sounds a lot easier than it actually is! Guy has a unique ability: he's been hearing voices since childhood, which he thought was a mental illness but turns out to be mind-reading. This talent gives him leverage in this dangerous new world.

"[Helen] is prone to half-truths when necessary. Somebody that you might not trust... Elizabeth also has such a maternal instinct. She has such a beautiful, soft face and her voice is – you want her to read every book to you in the car. So when you’ve got that mixed, do I trust her? It makes it really perilous for Guy."

— John Lee Hancock, Executive Producer & Director, on Elizabeth McGovern's character Helen

William Fichtner joins as Jasper, a character teased as "misunderstood." And in an exciting crossover, Eric Bogosian reprises his role as Daniel Molloy, connecting Talamasca directly to Interview with the Vampire. Guy seeks information from Daniel's famous book, leading to a "clandestine meetup" between the two.

Executive producer Mark Johnson highlighted how all three series in the Immortal Universe – Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and Talamasca – are distinct but "have themes and characters, and I think concerns all tied together." We can expect purposeful crossovers, ensuring that when characters like Daniel Molloy appear, "there’s a reason for it."

The Future is Immortal and Full of Vampires (and Secrets!)

It's an exciting time to be an Anne Rice fan! With The Vampire Lestat promising a radical shift in storytelling and Talamasca: The Secret Order offering a fresh perspective on the hidden supernatural world, AMC's Immortal Universe is truly coming alive (or undead, as the case may be!). Mark your calendars, because 2026 for Lestat's solo season and October 26th for Talamasca are going to be must-watch events.

FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered When does Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat premiere? The third season of the series (formerly Interview with the Vampire Season 3) is slated to premiere sometime in 2026 on AMC and AMC+. What is Talamasca: The Secret Order? It's a brand-new, six-episode series in Anne Rice's Immortal Universe focusing on the secretive Talamasca organization, which tracks and contains supernatural beings. It premieres with two episodes on Sunday, October 26, 2025, on AMC and AMC+. Who is Akasha and who plays her? Akasha is known as the "Queen of the Damned" and the "Mother of All Vampires," the very first vampire. She will be played by British actress Sheila Atim in The Vampire Lestat Season 3. How will The Vampire Lestat Season 3 be different? The show will shift its narrative focus to Lestat, telling his side of the story after Louis's published interview. Expect a more "impulsive," "erratic," and "wild" tone, reflecting Lestat's rockstar life and origins, drawing from several Anne Rice novels. Sources

• "‘The Vampire Lestat’ Reveals Akasha & Additional Cast, Extended First Look (VIDEO)" - TV Insider (October 10, 2025)
• "‘The Vampire Lestat’ Has Cast Its Queen of the Damned" - The Daily Beast (October 10, 2025)
• "The Vampire Lestat Teases A Supernatural Reckoning For A Fan Favorite" - Them (October 10, 2025)
• "AMC Networks News Roundup from New York Comic Con 2025" - Nerds That Speak (October 11, 2025)
• "‘The Vampire Lestat’ Adds Five to Cast, ‘Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ Drops Season 4 Behind the Scenes Teaser" - Variety (October 10, 2025)
• "Sheila Atim To Play Akasha In ‘The Vampire Lestat,’ ‘Interview With A Vampire’s Season 3 On AMC" - Blavity (October 11, 2025)
• "The Vampire Lestat: Anderson, Moscovitch Praise 'Real Deal' Sam Reid" - Bleeding Cool (October 13, 2025)