Credit: AMCShared universe franchises have become so commonplace in Hollywood that the format has made its way to television, yet there is one underrated horror franchise that I feel doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves. Not only have properties like Marvel and Star Wars successfully bridged the worlds of movie and television like never before, but franchises like The Boys and Star Trek prove that even television properties can become expansive multi-narrative hits. For better or worse, the concept of a shared universe has endured into the 2020s.
However, the horror genre has struggled to find similar success until one literary icon’s universe hit AMC in 2022.
What is the Immortal Universe?
A horror icon’s world is resurrected
Credit: AMCFollowing a lengthy 14-year wait for the theatrical rights to revert to her, acclaimed author Anne Rice and her son, Christopher Rice, began shopping the theatrical rights to her literary works to various studios and production companies in hopes of developing a TV series. AMC Studios would acquire the rights to adapt the author’s works in 2020, with both the writer and her son serving as producers until Rice’s passing in 2021.
Despite her passing, Rice had been involved as a non-writing executive producer on the soon-to-be-named Immortal Universe’s debut show, Interview with the Vampire. And in 2022, audiences dove into the life of one vampire’s tale of love, loss, and a search for the truth.
Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat
A follow-up to a celebrated interview
Under showrunner Rolin Jones, AMC’s Interview with the Vampire saw Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) open up about his lengthy life with reporter Daniel Malloy (Eric Bogosian) during the 2021 pandemic. Along the way, Louis addresses the freedoms and challenges vampirism brought, his chaotic relationships with companions Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) and Armand (Assad Zaman), his adoptive daughter Claudia (Bailey Bass and Delainey Hayles), and his journeys across New Orleans and Europe during the early 20th century. Along the way, Louis confronts the web of lies and half-truths that his life has become entangled in.
Interview with the Vampire has been celebrated as a well-made update to Rice’s work, adding new layers to its characters thanks to both the writing and the cast’s performances. Seasons 1 and 2 captured the first novel in Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, while season 3 saw the show retitled as The Vampire Lestat, beginning an adaptation of the second and third novels in the series.
Network
AMC
Cast
Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Delainey Hayles, Ben Daniels, Bailey Bass, Bally Gill, Choppy Guillotte, John DiMaggio, Roy McCrerey, Mary Risener, Gabriel Freilich, Jan Hofman, Delroy Atkinson, Matěj Beneš, Bryan Fenkart, Stephanie Hayes, Kameron Lopreore, Martina Babišová, Sean Brodeur, Jude Severin, Guillaume Bursztyn, Christian Robinson, Sarah Jane McMahon, Sam Barlien, Stephen JF Walker
Showrunner
Mark Johnson
Directors
Levan Akin, Alan Taylor, Craig Zisk, Emma Freeman, Keith Powell
Writers
Jonathan Ceniceroz, Coline Abert, Eleanor Burgess, Ben Philippe
Franchise(s)
Immortal Universe
Main Genre
Drama
Creator(s)
Rolin Jones
Producers
Adam O’Byrne
Seasons
2
Story By
Anne Rice
Streaming Service(s)
AMC+
Executive Producer(s)
Anne Rice, Christopher Rice, Mark Johnson, Mark Taylor, Rolin Jones, Michelle Ashford, Esta Spalding, Tom Williams
Mayfair Witches
A new spell is cast on the franchise
Following Interview with the Vampire, 2023 saw the release of Mayfair Witches, AMC’s adaptation of Lives of the Mayfair Witches. Alexandra Daddario’s Dr. Rowan Fielding learns that she descended from a coven of witches, bringing her back to New Orleans. With her family’s mystical duties thrust upon her, Rowan is forced to reckon with an ancient force that has haunted her bloodline.
Like Interview with the Vampire, Mayfair Witches is one of the ongoing titles in the Immortal Universe, with season 3 entering production in 2025. However, it has also proven to be the more controversial title, with it receiving mixed reviews online. For me, personally, Mayfair Witches lacked the strong and consistent storytelling that Interview with the Vampire held, feeling far less focused than the franchise’s launch series.
Cast
Alexandra Daddario, Tongayi Chirisa, Jack Huston, Harry Hamlin, Hannah Alline, Beth Grant, Annabeth Gish, Ravi Naidu, Jen Richards, Ian Hoch, Geraldine Singer, Emma Rose Smith, Charlayne Woodard, Suleka Mathew, Deneen Tyler, Melissa Chambers, Nadine Lewington, Jay Howard Thames, Keyara Milliner, Dennis Boutsikaris, Madison Wolfe, Leslie Castay, Erica Gimpel, Tobias Jelinek, Cameron Inman, Billy Slaughter, Jim Gleason, Robert Aberdeen, Joshua Mikel, Jessie Terrebonne, Chris Coy
Writers
Michelle Ashford, Esta Spalding
Main Genre
Drama
Creator(s)
Esta Spalding, Michelle Ashford
Number of Episodes
8
Franchise
Immortal Universe
Seasons
1
Cinematographer
Joseph E. Gallagher, Evans Brown
Creator
Esta Spalding
Distributor
AMC+
Main Characters
Rowan Fielding, Lasher, Ciprien, Cortland Mayfair, Carlotta, Jojo, Suzanne, Millie Mayfair
Producer
Esta Spalding
Production Company
AMC Studios, Gran Via Productions
Sfx Supervisor
Matt Kutcher
Story By
Anne Rice
Talamasca: The Secret Order
The secret order is forced out of the shadows
In 2025, the Immortal Universe saw the groups who watch the monsters and mystical into the spotlight with Talamasca: The Secret Order. In the series, young new recruit Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton) is recruited to uncover a conspiracy surrounding one sect of the Talamasca that is assumed to have gone rogue. Along the way, Guy learns that his family may have secrets of their own connecting him to the supernatural.
For me, Talamasca: The Secret Order holds a more focused and engaging narrative than Mayfair Witches, helped in part by its ties to the ongoing narrative and ramifications of Interview with the Vampire following season 2. However, any potential follow-ups have been hindered due to the show’s cancellation in 2026.
Network
AMC
Cast
Nicholas Denton, Celine Buckens, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, William Fichtner, Elizabeth McGovern, Ahmad Sakhi, Chidi Ajufo, Jack Barton, Will Brown, John Moraitis, Simona Brown, Jane Bertish, Tomi May, Eric Bogosian, Jason Schwartzman, Elise Robertson, Lace Akpojaro, Michelle Wen Lee, Simona Bondoc, Colin Stinton, Molly Osborne, Nicholas Gecks, André Layne, Bryony Hannah, John Henshaw
Directors
Eva Sørhaug
Writers
Donald Joh
Main Genre
Fantasy
Creator(s)
John Lee Hancock
Producers
John Lee Hancock, Mark Johnson, Mark Lafferty, Tom Williams
Seasons
1
Release Window
2025
Executive Producer(s)
John Lee Hancock, Mark Johnson, Christopher Rice, Anne Rice, Mark Lafferty, Tom Williams
How is the Immortal Universe interconnected?
Connections between the shows are subtle
Credit: AMCAt the time of writing, there has not been any major connections between the three shows of the Immortal Universe, with each series for the most part acting as standalone stories with some allusions to one another. However, elements such as the Talamasca have played a part in each show, with Raglan James (Justin Kirk) appearing in both Interview with the Vampire and Talamasca: The Secret Order, and the release of Daniel Malloy’s novel and it’s cultural impact being witnessed across several shows.
What is next for the Immortal Universe?
AMC is eyeing other stories
Currently, much of the future of the Immortal Universe hinges on the fate of Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat. Season 3 began with a flashforward set in the aftermath of both the novel that inspired it and Rice’s following novel, The Queen of the Damned. The ramifications of potential future seasons will be on a world-shaking scale, and the flash-forward and hints at a wider vampire plan have hinted at these events.
Furthermore, two additional series set within the world are in development. Announced in 2023, Night Island is set to expand the events of Interview with the Vampire‘s corner of the world through a side story focused on the titular resort. Alongside this, AMC has also confirmed that Memnoch the Devil will be adapted, confirming that Lestat and the characters surrounding him will continue to play a major role.
The Vampire Lestat
Release Date
June 7, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Where to stream the Immortal Universe?
The franchise is surprisingly accessible on streaming
Credit: AMCAt the time of writing, the Immortal Universe can be found on AMC+, with new episodes of The Vampire Lestat airing on the streaming platform, as well as on AMC. Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches are also available through Netflix’s and Roku’s services.
For horror fans, AMC has more than proved itself capable of handling long-running horror hits through its Walking Dead universe. As such, it is clear that the streamer is more than ready to help Rice’s world achieve long-lasting success. While most major shared universes focus on spacefaring adventures and superheroes, the Immortal Universe is a welcome shake-up that deserves more recognition.
AMC+
Subscription with ads
Yes, $7/month
Live TV
Yes, $10/month or $96/year
Price
Starting at $7/month
Number of live TV channels
6
