Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles & Mayfair Witches on AMC

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http://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/84...ire-chronicles

Paramount Television and Anonymous Content have optioned the rights to 11 books from acclaimed author Anne Rice’s best-selling series, The Vampire Chronicles. Christopher Rice, four-time New York Times best-selling author and recipient of the Lambda Literary Award, will pen the series and serve as executive producer alongside Anne Rice, and Anonymous Content’s David Kanter and Steve Golin.

“It is undeniable that Anne Rice has created the paradigm against which all vampire stories are measured. The rich and vast world she has created with ‘The Vampire Chronicles’ is unmatched and sophisticated with 90’s gothic undertones that will be perfectly suited to captivate audiences,” said Amy Powell, President, Paramount TV. “The series is full of compelling characters led by Lestat, arguably one of the greatest original characters, literary or otherwise. We are thrilled to collaborate with Anne, Christopher and the team at Anonymous Content on this epic series.”

“Together with our partners at Paramount Television, we are embarking on a fantastic journey with Anne and Christopher Rice to bring Anne’s unparalleled imagination to television at the moment when the medium is experiencing a global apex in the demand for the most outstanding, exciting and heightened premium dramatic programming,” says Anonymous Content’s David Kanter. “‘The Vampire Chronicles,’ in its entirety, is not only a phenomenally complex universe of story-telling, it is also a world-wide readership whose connections to the books and their author are deep and abiding. It is a tremendous responsibility to help bring the books to television, and we are thrilled to have this opportunity.”

“I’m thrilled beyond words to be working with Paramount TV and Anonymous Content –known for extraordinary cutting edge series such as ‘True Detective,’ ‘Quarry,’ and ‘The Knick,'” said Anne Rice. “In this unique golden age of television, I couldn’t ask for a finer or more passionate team to help bring my beloved vampire hero, Lestat, alive in a series of the highest quality. This is a dream come true, both for me and for Christopher and for the fans who have been asking to see the Brat Prince in this medium for years.”

Christopher Rice added, “The first great day for me on this project was when my mother asked me to partner with her on it. The second, is the announcement of this thrilling partnership with Paramount Television and Anonymous Content. For decades now fans of ‘The Vampire Chronicles’ have been clamoring for a long-form television adaptation of this galaxy of content. Just a glance at the libraries of these two innovative, groundbreaking companies makes clear why they’re perfectly suited to granting this wish. Add to that their passion and enthusiasm for the long term vision Mom and I share for this series, and we’re confident this exciting deal will result in many excellent things for Lestat in the universe of television.”

Anne Rice is a New York Times best-selling author of over 30 novels. Her first novel, Interview with the Vampire, was published in 1976 and has become one of bestselling novels worldwide and was the basis for the internationally acclaimed 1994 motion picture, Interview with the Vampire, starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas.

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https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-forces-o...ric-1827656435

Lestat will rise again. Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles series, which has been in the works for two years, is finally coming to television on Hulu.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter and confirmed by Variety, Hulu is developing The Vampire Chronicles series, with Rice serving as an executive producer and her son, Christopher Rice, as the show’s main writer and showrunner. Former American Gods and Star Trek: Discovery showrunner Bryan Fuller was previously attached to the product, but stepped down six months ago—reportedly out of a desire not to step on the toes of Anne and Christopher Rice, who he’s close friends with.

Paramount optioned all 11 books last year in hopes of making a series, with Paramount TV president Amy Powell later calling it “the Vampire Chronicles initiative,” signifying its importance to the production company. The series will follow vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (previously played on the big screen by Tom Cruise in 1994's Interview with a Vampire, and Stuart Townsend in 2002's Queen of the Damned) as he galavants about town being sexy and killing people.

No word when we should expect the new show to arrive, but hopefully we won’t have to wait too long. We’re getting hungry.

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https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/1...ries-order-amc

AMC Networks has officially given a series order to a brand new supernatural fantasy horror titled Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, based on the acclaimed gothic author’s Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy novel. This serves as the second project in the network’s expanding Anne Rice universe and is set to make its debut in late 2022 on AMC+, following the Interview with the Vampire series.

“2022 will be the biggest year for original programming in the history of our company, and we are literally over the moon that it will now include the first two series in an expanding Anne Rice universe built around stories and characters that have captivated millions of fans around the world,” President of Entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks, Dan McDermott said in a statement. “We are also extremely fortunate to have such talented storytellers as Esta and Michelle guiding this adaptation, which will follow the first season of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire late next year.”

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches hails from Masters of Sex‘s Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford, who are both serving as writers and executive producers. Spalding is also set as the showrunner under her overall deal with AMC Studios.

The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.

“The world of witches has fascinated and terrified for centuries, and yet Anne Rice’s particular lens on witches explored something new altogether – women who are powerful, and often brutal, and always committed to subverting our current power structures,” Spalding and Ashford said. “We are so excited to join our partners AMC and Gran Via Productions in making this mysterious and provocative world come to life.”

The series adaptation will consist of eight episodes that will be produced by AMC Studios. Anne Rice and her son Christopher Rice are executive producing on all projects based on her iconic works which were acquired by AMC Networks last year.

[Tommy]

Love the Mayfair Witches, hope they do it justice!

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https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/ale...mc-1235206570/

Alexandra Daddario has been cast in the lead role of the “Mayfair Witches” series at AMC, Variety has learned exclusively.

Based on Anne Rice’s “The Lives of the Mayfair Witches” novels, the show was picked up to series at AMC in December 2021. Daddario will star as Rowan, a brilliant doctor who grapples with her fate as the heir to a family of powerful witches.

“Alexandra is a singular talent who has lit up the screen in everything she’s been in and we couldn’t be happier to have her on board leading the cast of a series that will be a centerpiece of an expanding Anne Rice universe on AMC+ and AMC,” said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. “We found our Rowan and can’t wait for her to meet viewers later this year in a series being brilliantly conceived and led by Esta, Michelle and Mark.”

This marks the latest major TV role for Daddario in recent years. She was last seen in the critically-acclaimed first season of HBO’s “The White Lotus.” She has also starred in shows like “Why Women Kill,” “The Girlfriend Experience,” and “True Detective.” On the film side, Daddario is known for her roles in features such as “San Andreas,” “We Have Always Lived in a Castle,” “Lost Transmissions,” and “Can You Keep a Secret?,” the last of which she also executive produced.

Daddario is repped by UTA, Untitled Entertainment, Rogers & Cowan PMK and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

“Mayfair Witches” has been given an eight-episode first season order, with AMC planning to launch the show on its linear channel and streamer AMC Plus later in 2022.

Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford serve as writers and executive producers on the series, with Spalding also serving as showrunner. AMC Studios, where Spalding is currently under an overall deal, will produce.

Variety exclusively reported in 2020 that AMC had acquired the rights to Rice’s book series “The Vampire Chronicles” and “The Lives of the Mayfair Witches,” comprising 18 titles in total. Mark Johnson, who also has an overall deal with AMC Studios, is overseeing the development of the books into a streaming and television universe. Anne Rice and her son Christopher serve as executive producers on all series and films developed under the deal, though Anne passed away in December 2021.

“Mayfair Witches” is one of two series based on Rice’s work currently in the works at AMC, with a series version of “Interview with the Vampire” starring Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson currently in production.

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[Merlin1958]

IDK how good/bad this series will be (A black, ancient & ageless vampire seems odd, historically speaking) but, I have a lot of respect for, AMC. What they choose to produce, they often produce very well. So, if you can get with an affluent, rich, suave "Gentleman" black man in the 15-1600's this show should have a lot of promise.

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Out of all things out of Comic Con this year, this is probably the one I'm the most excited and intrigued about!

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[Merlin1958]

I'm gonna give it a watch, for sure!!

[Lurker]

Not your kind of show. It has gay people:

The trailer for AMC’s Interview With the Vampire premiered Saturday following the show’s panel at Comic-Con earlier in the week. And it is queer, so very queer.

An adaptation of the late Anne Rice’s legendary and best-selling gothic horror novel published in 1976, the AMC series looks to be as queer as the story is in the books. In the novel, Louis de Pointe du Lac details his life and death and vampire life to a reporter. Much of the tale revolves around Louis’s romance with his sire, Lestat de Lioncourt, along with their life with the 10-year-old turned vampire Claudia, whom they essentially adopt as their daughter. The Advocate

[Merlin1958]

Not your kind of show. It has gay people:

The trailer for AMC’s Interview With the Vampire premiered Saturday following the show’s panel at Comic-Con earlier in the week. And it is queer, so very queer.

An adaptation of the late Anne Rice’s legendary and best-selling gothic horror novel published in 1976, the AMC series looks to be as queer as the story is in the books. In the novel, Louis de Pointe du Lac details his life and death and vampire life to a reporter. Much of the tale revolves around Louis’s romance with his sire, Lestat de Lioncourt, along with their life with the 10-year-old turned vampire Claudia, whom they essentially adopt as their daughter. The Advocate

Geez, you're relentless. I read the book(s) 15-20 years ago and enjoyed them very much, thank you.

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https://deadline.com/2022/09/anne-ri...-2-1235128986/

AMC Networks already likes the looks of where those bloodsuckers are headed: It has renewed Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire for a second season, ahead of the new series’ debut on AMC and AMC+ on October 2.

The contemporary adaptation of Rice’s gothic novel follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) and Claudia’s (Bailey Bass) story of love and immortality, as told to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). The 8-episode second season will be set in Europe with Oscar and Emmy Award-winning producer Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) and showrunner Rolin Jones (Perry Mason, Friday Night Lights) executive producing.

“The scope and breadth of this show, and what Mark and Rolin have delivered, is just stupendous. They have rendered the rich and vibrant world of Anne Rice’s Interview in a wonderful way, and we’re incredibly proud. From the set build, to production design, costumes and more — no detail was overlooked. This stellar cast deliver powerful performances that emotionally connect us to these characters and their humanity,” said Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios, in a statement. “We look forward to sharing the final product of this extraordinary effort with audiences in just a few short days and are thrilled that this story will continue. This is only the beginning of an entire Universe featuring enthralling stories and characters that capture the spirit of Anne Rice’s amazing work.”

The company will also launch an Interview with the Vampire Podcast, hosted by writer/comedian/vampire-enthusiast Naomi Ekperigin, with the first preview episode available today. Each week, Ekperigin will be joined by the actors and writers behind the show. Its produced by AMC in conjunction with Pineapple Street Studios.

AMC Networks acquired the rights to Rice’s works in 2020 with Interview as the first title to be developed and greenlit to series. The second series, Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, starring Alexandra Daddario, Jack Huston, Tongayi Chirisa and Harry Hamlin and executive produced by Johnson, Showrunner Esta Spalding (Masters of Sex), Writer Michelle Ashford (Masters of Sex), Director Michael Uppendahl and Jeff Freilich, is set to debut in January.

[Merlin1958]

Very much enjoyed the first episode!

I enjoyed it so much I went ahead and subscribed to the channel and saw the 2nd episode as well. That was even better than the first.

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Really surprised to see this not being discussed very much here, I would've thought King fans were big Rice fans as well?

[Lurker]

I've been saving the Interviews to binge on.
Mayfair is coming out on the AMC+ which I refuse to buy any +'s or such greedy bs. I'll watch if it shows up on regular AMC, but I'm still holding my breath on Season 3 of a Discovery of Witches.

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Interview and MW are supposed to cross over, Marvel-style, later!

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https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/may...io-1235488888/

AMC’s Anne Rice TV universe is proving to be worth the investment, with the latest show in the lineup, “Mayfair Witches,” dethroning the first title, “Interview With the Vampire,” as AMC+’s biggest ever new series premiere.

Debuting at 9 p.m. Jan. 8 on AMC and AMC+, along with a multi-network simulcast across AMC Networks’ BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV and WE TV, the first episode of the Alexandra Daddario-led “Mayfair Witches” garnered more viewers during its first five days of availability on the streaming platform than “Interview,” the previous record holder, had over that same window after its Oct. 2 premiere.

Looking at linear ratings alone, the “Mayfair Witches” premiere drew 1.7 million viewers, per Nielsen’s Live + 3 day data. Those returns make “Mayfair” a top 10 cable drama among adults 18-49 and 25-54 for the 2022-2023 TV season.

AMC notes “Mayfair” stirred up quite the conversation on premiere night, counting as the top “most social entertainment show” on Sunday, “with hundreds of thousands of interactions,” and “drove the most social activity of any new cable series premiere” during the current TV season, which the cable network attributes in part to Daddario’s “significant social reach.”

Based on Rice’s best-selling trilogy, “Lives of the Mayfair Witches,” the eight-episode series focuses on an intuitive young neurosurgeon, Rowan Fielding (Daddario), who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.

Along with Daddario, the series stars Jack Huston as Lasher, Tongayi Chirisa as Ciprien Grieve and Harry Hamlin as Cortland Mayfair.

“Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches” hails from AMC Studios and is executive produced by Mark Johnson, showrunner Esta Spalding, writer Michelle Ashford, director Michael Uppendahl and Jeff Freilich.

“What a start to our Anne Rice Immortal Universe, with two series that are driving cultural conversation, attracting significant linear viewership and now stand as the top two new series in the history of AMC+,” Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks, told Variety. “We are grateful for the way fans have responded to these shows and to the creative teams that delivered on the promise of these stories and characters in new and highly engaging ways. Thanks to Mark Johnson, Esta Spalding, Michelle Ashford and the entire cast of ‘Mayfair,’ led by the remarkable Alexandra Daddario, for delivering an entertaining and highly watchable series and putting firmly in place another key foundational element of this dynamic universe.”

New episodes of “Mayfair Witches” will debut on AMC at 9 p.m. each Sunday, and will become available for streaming three days prior on AMC+.

[Merlin1958]

Being a Witch: Pro's & Con's

PRO:

1. Amazing powers

CON:

1. Bird shit on your car

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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv...mc-1235316700/

The Anne Rice universe at AMC will continue to grow.

The cable outlet has picked up a second season of Mayfair Witches, based on Rice’s trio of novels about a doctor (Alexandra Daddario) who discovers she is the heir to a family of witches. The renewal comes midway through the show’s first season and follows that of Interview With the Vampire, which was picked up ahead of its series debut in October.

“We are thrilled with the reaction to this series, especially in the wake of the incredibly strong reception to Interview, and can’t wait to bring the fans second seasons of both series in this rich, vibrant and expanding universe based on the works of Anne Rice,” said Dan McDermott, AMC Networks entertainment president and AMC Studios head. “In a business in which ‘nobody knows anything,’ we knew what we were hoping for in terms of building a television franchise around these remarkable characters and stories, and to see these shows arrive and captivate viewers in the way they have is so gratifying and energizing for everyone involved, and there is so much yet to come.”

Mayfair Witches has performed well for AMC, outdrawing Interview With the Vampire both on air — it averages about 560,000 viewers for initial airings, to 490,000 for Interview — and on streaming. AMC says the Mayfair had the biggest series debut to date on AMC+ and, over its first 30 days, is the most watched season of any series on the streamer (though, as usual in the streaming world, AMC doesn’t provide hard data for comparison).

“The success of both Mayfair Witches and Interview with the Vampire once again illustrates the strength and mastery of Anne Rice’s work,” said executive producer Mark Johnson, who oversees the Anne Rice IP for AMC Networks. “The fact that these first two shows are performing so splendidly with a TV audience gives us much pride in what we’ve already done and great anticipation for the storytelling opportunities yet to come.”

Added showrunner Esta Spalding, “Anne Rice’s Lives of the Mayfair Witches is a sumptuous epic tale that we’ve only begun to explore. I’m so grateful to the fans and viewers of the show who’ve given us the chance to continue telling this story.”

Jack Huston, Tongayi Chirisa and Harry Hamlin star alongside Daddario. Spalding and Johnson executive produce with writer Michelle Ashford, director Michael Uppendahl and Jeff Freilich. Production on season two is slated to begin later in the year in New Orleans.