Posted in: AMC, TV | Tagged: interview with the vampire

Interview with the Vampire: Eric Bogosian Shuts Down Season 3 Theory

AMC's Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire star Eric Bogosian offered some insights into Season 3 - and shut down a popular fan theory.

With the third season of AMC and Rolin Jones's (Perry Mason, Weeds) Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Delainey Hayles, Assad Zaman, and Eric Bogosian-starring Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire not hitting screens until 2026, we have a whole lot of time to help piece together as much as was can about what we can expect. During an interview with The Nerdist that you definitely need to read, Bogosian covered several topics in and around the "Interview with the Vampire" universe and much more. He also offered an update on the third season and some "bigger picture" insights on the overall Anne Rice Universe. In addition, Bogosian put a stake in the heart of a popular theory emanating from the Season 3 teaser released during San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) involving his character, Daniel Molloy. Here's a look at the highlights:

Bogosian on IWTV Season 3 Filming & Showrunner Rolin Jones: "We start shooting again in the summer. And then there's the 'Talamasca' show that's going to come on before that. I don't know when they're releasing it. What's weird about 'Interview with the Vampire' or this whole Anne Rice universe is that you've got different auteurs working, creating their own ideas about what should be happening with this thing, and then they have one producer over the whole thing, Mark Johnson. But Rolin Jones, I mean, that has been some crazy shit working with Rolin. I, as a writer, as an off-Broadway kind of guy, which is where he started at The Atlantic with his plays, how he's doing this, I don't know. I mean, it's a level of intensity. It is hard for me to even… Rolin is ready to go completely all kinds of places, and I don't even know what's happening to Daniel because I barely got a hint of it so far. I guess I'll find out."

Bogosian on That "Armand Told the True" Teaser Theory: During the teaser trailer for the third season that was released during last year's SDCC, we see a clapperboard appear in front of Lestat (Reid) – with the arm holding the clapperboard spring a tattoo that reads "Armand Told The Truth." A number of fans have been running with the theory that it's Daniel's arm – meaning that it's Daniel's tattoo. Unfortunately, as interesting as that would be, Bogosian explained the reality of the situation:

"No, it's not Daniel's. It's a person holding a clapboard," Bogosian shared. "When we were shooting it, we didn't even know that [the tattoo] was there. I only found about it later when somebody pointed it out on the internet. I didn't even see it on the day, and I asked other people who were also there about it. I asked, 'Did you see that, when it said Armand was right?' And no one saw it. I don't know if it was Mark Johnson, our producer, or somebody else's arm. But we have this master puppeteer over us. It's Rolin Jones who's putting all these things together."

Interview with the Vampire Season 3: "Contenders TV" & More

"The second book opens in this very extreme, confronting different way. We're honoring that," Reid shared, "The rock-star vampire is such a bizarre concept, and it's something that we're attempting and hopefully do it OK." Helping bring "Rockstar Lestat" to life is the show's composer, Daniel Hart – who is penning the songs.  "The music has always been done by Daniel Hart, and Daniel Hart is really just bringing some extraordinary work to the new season," Reid shared. "This show rests so heavily on his music. It's so visceral, the way the music can come in and ride a wave for the audience. He's really having the time of his life writing these songs."

With Jones leading the Season 3 writers' room, Johnson offered a timeframe regarding when the cameras would start rolling. "The writers are busy working away, meaning Rollin has no time to himself right now. We are going to be shooting in Toronto, of all places, later in the year, not too far away. So much of this season all rests on this man's shoulders," Johnson revealed. In terms of production, Johnson shared how the executive producers work to be able to offer as much of Jones' vision as possible while also being as "inventive and resourceful" with monies available. "I think we need really for all of us, all the executive producers, all of us to be as inventive and resourceful as possible," Johnson explained. "That's why we went to Prague. We didn't go to Paris. Prague doubled for it. We all understood that. There are other networks that would've spent a lot more money on this. AMC, I could not be more grateful for their support and understanding of what we needed."

Back in August 2024, series composer Daniel Hart participated in a Reddit AMA to discuss what it was like composing the first two seasons and answer fan questions. Though Hart noted that it was still too early to discuss specifics on music for the third season, he did offer some insights into "Long Face" and how he's approaching the music for Season 3 with Reid's vocal stylings in mind.

In terms of Hart's musical inspirations for "Long Face," Hart notes it was "Ziggy Stardust"-era David Bowie and T. Rex. As for when the song will hit streaming, Hart shares, "'Long Face' will eventually make it to streaming services, I have no doubt. And I wish I could give you a timetable for that, but I just don't know yet. I know so many folx want to stream it, but I have to ask for your patience while many other moving parts fall into place." As for whether we will be getting any more tracks from Lestat before Season 3 primers, Hart responded, "I probably couldn't tell you if I knew. But I actually don't know, so I don't have much else I can say about it. Except that The Vampire Lestat likes writing songs. :)."

What Hart Likes/Finds Interesting About Sam Reid's Voice: "Sam's voice – what's not to like? Yes, I keep his vocal register in mind when I'm writing for him. Yes, I think about what I know about his voice already, in terms of what words will sound good coming out of his mouth (the slight French accent also affects these choices). BUT his voice, like every voice, is full of surprises, and I can't wait for the next time we record something to discover a new surprise. And no, I don't know when that next time will be, but I really look forward to it."

Hart on Differences in Producing "Come to Me" and "Long Face": "'Come To Me' was done remotely while Sam was filming S1, and I unfortunately couldn't be there, even remotely. 'Long Face,' we were in the studio together. Being together makes it a lot easier to get to the vocal performances we both want. So 'Come To Me,' we really have to thank Sam, Rolin, and my music editor, Mark Vlodarkiewicz, for getting it where it needed to be. For Long Face, we tried a few different approaches – Lestat is furious, Lestat is singing to a fan in the audience at a show, Lestat is seducing everyone – and we had a lot of fun. Sam really gave it his all; it was a pleasure."

In season three, resentful of the perfunctory portrayal in the trashy bestseller 'Interview With The Vampire,' the Vampire Lestat sets his story straight in a way only the Vampire Lestat can—by starting a band and going on tour," read the official overview for the third season. "Gabrielle. Nicholas. Magnus. Marius. Those Who Must Be Kept. They join Louis, Armand, Molloy, Sam, Raglan, Fareed, and others we can't tell you about yet on a sexy pilgrimage across space, time, and trauma. No Auto-Tuning. No Trigger Warnings. All Feels Amplified. Now, here's a look at the official lyric video for Lestat de Lioncourt's "Long Face":

Speaking with The Los Angeles Times, Jones shared that they're looking to create "a little pop masterpiece" next season – dropping the names of two powerfully influential musicals that are setting the bar. "Lestat becomes a rock star. Let's start there. We're going to do a lot with that and are excited about potentially working with Daniel Hart, who's done the music for the first two seasons," Jones shared. "We're going to try to beat 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' and 'Rocky Horror.' We're about to try to make a little pop masterpiece."

Mark Johnson executive produces AMC's Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, along with Christopher Rice (with the late author also maintaining an executive producer title). AMC's deal includes 18 titles across the "The Vampire Chronicles" and "The Lives of the Mayfair Witches" book series- also including Queen of the Damned, The Vampire Lestat, and The Witching Hour. Johnson leads AMC's efforts to develop the full Rice collection for television & streaming. Emmy Award-winning director Alan Taylor (Mad Men, Game of Thrones) directed the first two episodes and serves as executive producer.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!