ATX TV Fest: THE VAMPIRE LESTAT
Out of the hundreds of theater-going experiences I’ve had, there are a handful of very special viewings that stand out. Seeing The Thing for the first time (with Wilford Brimley in attendance), seeing High School Musical 3 on my birthday in a packed crowd and almost fainting from the sight of Zac Efron sweating on the big screen, and now I can add a brand new, beguiling, highly cinematic experience to this exclusive list. In some sort of upside down reality where good things happen to good people, I got to attend an advanced screening of the first episode of The Vampire Lestat (formerly Interview with the Vampire) at the ATX TV Festival last weekend, which included a Q&A with showrunner Rolin Jones. No amount of humid, Texas heat or long lines could’ve prevented me from attending this screening, I would’ve crawled down Congress Avenue if it meant I got even a glimpse of Sam Reid’s Lestat de Lioncourt: who takes center stage in this next, idyllic iteration, after two seasons of refined, radiant restraint from one of the most famous vampires ever conceived. Fans of Anne Rice’s beloved, decades-old book series already know that Lestat is the star, Lestat himself knows he’s the star, but for a newer audience with uncorrupted eyes, we are about to experience a dazzling, dangerous, erotic, psychotic spectacle that the first two seasons of IWTV only teased.
Even the opening credits are a maximalist marvel, and from there, Sam Reid—who may very well be possessed by Lestat—takes the reins and lets us know that no one else will be telling his story this time. He’s a rockstar now, a powerhouse of a performer who could always adapt to the aesthetics and attitudes of each era, but he seems particularly equipped to fulfill our present-day desperation for hedonism that can only come from living in a society that flirts so much with destruction. The first episode of season three, titled “Detroit” ushers in Lestat’s rockstar reign by introducing us to his band—played by Noah Reid, Seamus Patterson, Ryan Kattner, and Sarah Swire—as they undertake a brief but boisterous sort of residency in Motor City. As the fierce foursome rocks out, I had to remind myself that this isn’t a real band and that Sam Reid isn’t really a vampire—they’re just that talented and natural, and Sam Reid in particular moves his body in a way I can only describe as hypnotic. The music feels real because it is—you can stream it on Spotify and devour these dulcet tones for yourself—and I can say personally that with each rhythmic gyration and mesmerizing sensation from Lestat, I could not stop myself from smiling like a devoted groupie. That’s the power of Sam Reid’s vampiric magnetism, and the power of composer Daniel Hart, who brilliantly crafted the music behind the legend. For those of us who have been jamming to “Long Face” since AMC first released the single as a lyric video, all the way back in July of 2024, watching it come to life will be nothing short of exquisite.
Though he enjoys his newfound fame, the first episode hints that Lestat will be haunted by his past muses throughout the season—whether it’s from familiar familiars like Louis (Jacob Anderson), Armand (Assad Zaman), and Claudia (Delainey Hayles), or infamous unknowns like Nicolas/Nicki (Joseph Potter), Magnus (Damien Atkins), Marius (Christopher Heyerdahl), Akasha (Sheila Atim), or the macabre mother of all this mess, Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle). Lestat is immediately avoidant of his past when good ole zaddy Molloy (Eric Bogosian) keeps asking, for the sake of the documentary structure, “Did you stutter as a child?” The entire series has been a daringly delectable adventure—from the highest, most euphoric highs to the lowest, most devastating lows—but The Vampire Lestat promises an even more evolved execution of this iconic vampire tale. The writing, editing, production design, and performances have always been reliably superb on this show, but the first episode of season 3, alone, has the most ingenious writing, the most insane editing, and a raw, unfettered, unbelievable performance from Sam Reid. It’s no wonder that Rolin Jones compared Reid to James Gandolfini at the Q&A, he embodies that same dedicated, lived-in spirit that makes you question where the man ends and the myth begins. When the episode ended, giddy smile still stuck on my face, I was overwhelmed with excitement for the rest of the season. And when Rolin Jones spoke about the painstaking process behind making this show, I hung onto every single word he said. I hesitate to mention more about this episode, about every golden nugget Jones so graciously revealed, because The Vampire Lestat is clearly the sort of televised triumph that must be experienced for oneself. In a sea of prestige television, in an oversaturated era of entertainment excess, Interview with the Vampire / The Vampire Lestat is a pure, priceless rarity made in service of the devotees of the original material, while always providing something new and evolved for the seldom satiated masses. The first episode of season 3 will be unleashed on June 7th, and I, for one, will be moshing in the front row.
