Sam Reid

'Interview With The Vampire' Reboot Brings Back Lestat de Lioncourt and More

Home / Entertainment / 'Interview With The Vampire' Reboot Brings Back Lestat de Lioncourt and More

By Favour Adegoke on September 1, 2021 at 2:22 PM EDT

It’s nearly three decades since we last saw Lestat de Lioncourt as the main character of the American film, "Interview With the Vampire."

Thankfully, lovers of gothic horror will get to relive some moments thanks to a promised reboot based on a complex agreement between Anne Rice and AMC.

The movie adaptation of Anne Rice’s 1976 novel also featured Brad Pitt as Louis de Pointe du Lac, a young man who after the death of his wife and unborn child, was turned into a vampire by Lestat (Tom Cruise.)

Upon its release in 1994, the film received critical acclaim from critics and audiences who commended the entire cast for their sterling acting of the roles and characters in the book.

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Also, cast in the movie were Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas, Thandiwe Newton, and a young Kirsten Dunst as vampire child, Claudia.

Wondering what the reboot would be all about? Keep scrolling below for more blood-sucking details.

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What's It About?

The 1994 movie was set in modern-day San Francisco and followed the life of Louis, who claims to be a vampire. Louis told his story to a reporter (Molloy) as he recounted his previous life as a wealthy plantation owner who lost his wife and unborn child.

He disclosed that in a bid to end his dissatisfaction with life, he allowed Lestat to turn him into a vampire. This later caused him tremendous pain as he could not stand as Lestat reveled in the hunt and killing of humans.

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A lovely photo of Anne Rice sporting a black outfit.
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Instagram | Anne Rice Official Instagram

In the end, Louis concluded his interview with Molloy, and he made the shocking request of asking Louis to make him his vampire companion.

Louis was outraged and vanished from the place leaving Lestat to later appear. He offered Molloy the choice that he never had; to become a vampire or not, while laughing hysterically as he led him to his death over a bridge.

AMC has disclosed that the new adaptation would be a series but failed to reveal if it would follow Louis' narrative or would include new ideas. Fans would have to keep their fingers crossed till the first episode comes on the air.

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Release Date

The "Interview with the Vampire" was the first of Rice’s series of 10 gothic books, named The Vampire Chronicles. Only two of the collection has gotten to the big screens after the release of the classic movie.

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Fans of her works won’t have to wait too long as the new adaption will premiere sometime in 2022.

AMC has also disclosed that the series would have eight chapters and maybe the unfettered access for several TV adaptations based on Rice’s novels.

This comes after the channel also secured the rights to the Interview with the Vampire sequels, plus her Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy.

With this plethora of untapped content in its arsenal, it is expected that the channel could set about producing a long run of blood sucker’s saga, obviously taking a leaf from the acclaimed success of other vampire series such as "The Originals," "Vampire Diaries," and "True Blood."

Who's In It?

AMC has decided to cast actor Sam Reid, as the immortal vampire, Lestat. He is best known for his work in "Anonymous," "Belle," "The Railway Man," and "Prime Suspect" 1973.

Also tagging along is co-star, Jacob Anderson, who played Grey Worm on "Game of Thrones," we will see him take on the role of Louis, Lestat’s Protégée.

We could also expect to see Mark Johnson, who’s worked on "Breaking Bad" as the producer. He will oversee developing the novels as a “streaming and television franchise and the universe,” according to a report from AMC.

The channel has remained tight-lipped about the rest of the cast, though we can expect to know more as the premiere date draws near.

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Why Was The Movie Important?

The movie was a pacesetter for other vampire movies as it pioneered the use of makeup to make the creepy and grotesque looks of vampires.

The makeup techniques used on the set were unprecedented and unseen on any movie set as at that time.

One of them was asking the cast to hang upside down for 30 minutes so that blood could rush into his head, to make the veins very visible. The makeup artists would then proceed to perform their art on his face.

The weird technique went on to be extremely helpful in transforming the cast into terrifying vampires. The veins looked so real that fans could hardly tell the difference.

Luckily, none of the cast members passed out.

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