AMC made the bold and unconventional decision to officially rename Interview with the Vampire to The Vampire Lestat for its third season. This rebranding serves a dual purpose, directly mirroring the literary progression of Anne Rice’s iconic The Vampire Chronicles book series.
Showrunner Rolin Jones explicitly noted that the title change is simply following Rice’s original lead, as the third season shifts from adapting her first novel to her second book, which bears the same name. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he stated:
“The more we follow Anne’s pathway, and the more honorable we are being to the source material. What are we going to call it? Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Lestat? You can’t get that out. To me, [renaming the show] is a no brainer, but it’s also probably bold.”
What showrunner Rolin Jones said about Interview with the Vampire Season 3 being titled The Vampire Lestat
The first two seasons followed Louis de Pointe du Lac’s perspective and were based on Anne Rice’s 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire. Season 3, however, shifts the focus entirely to Lestat de Lioncourt and adapts The Vampire Lestat, the second novel in Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles series.
Rather than continuing to tell the story through Louis’ memories, the new chapter is led by Lestat and present his own version of events. AMC’s official synopsis describes him as a resentful figure who wants to correct the portrayal presented in Daniel Molloy’s bestselling book by telling his story in the most Lestat way possible: through music, fame, and a global rock tour.
Showrunner Rolin Jones has emphasized that the third season represents a major creative shift for the series. While discussing the adaptation process, he teased about the upcoming episodes in the latest season:
“It’s a very different season. You can’t really tell another origin story — so many of the beats are shared beats that we’ve already done with Louis — so it’s been a thrilling, exciting challenge so far. What I can tell you after seeing all the footage, and this says nothing about all the wonderful performances that are in seasons 1 and 2, it’s an absolutely iconic season of television [for Reid]. You’re really not prepared. Nobody is.”
Jones also talked about the series rebranding, explaining that loyal fans will easily recognize the show despite the new title. He noted that he had always wanted to make this name change from the beginning, expressing gratitude that the marketing team eventually agreed to align the title with the new book adaptation.
For those who want to dive into the latest season, The Vampire Lestat premiered with first episode on AMC+ on June 7, 2026. Consisting seven episodes, the season will drop episodes weekly on Sundays until July 19.
Edited by Suchita Patnaha
