Summary
In two ofthe most significant trailer drops of SDCC, bothInterview with the VampireandMayfair Witchesreleased a glimpse into their upcoming seasons, creating yet more intrigue about what could appear inThe Talamasca.Screen Rantattended theInterview with the VampireandMayfair Witchespanels at San Diego Comic-Con, getting a first look at some of the key moments ofInterview with the Vampireseason 3 andMayfair Witchesseason 2. It looks likethere is ample room for crossover between the two series andThe Talamasca, the new AMC+ Immortal Universe show coming up.
The TalamascaTV showwas green-lit in June, with producer Mark Johnson describing it as a paranormal “procedural spy thriller” (viaAMC). This recalls shows likeThe X-FilesandSupernatural, making it seem likeThe Talamascamay have a monster per episodeor every few episodes. The Talamasca was the secretive organization investigating the paranormal that appeared in legendary horror and fantasy writer Anne Rice’s vampire book seriesThe Vampire Chroniclesand witch book seriesLives of the Mayfair Witches. These series respectively informInterview with the VampireandMayfair Witches, already suggesting exciting storylines to expect fromThe Talamasca.
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10Mummies From Ramses the Damned
Ramses Could Make An Appearance
As well asthe book seriesThe Vampire ChroniclesandLives of the Mayfair Witches,The Talamascacould also adapt lesser-known Anne Rice booksdealing with the paranormal.The Mummy, or Ramses the Damnedis one such book that could see mummies come to life in the new show.The Talamascais under no obligation to adapt any of Anne Rice’s books outright - there was never any one book all about the organization, they just intriguingly appeared throughout her works.
The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned
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1989
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2022
The two shows airing as part of AMC+’s Anne Rice Immortal Universe franchise thus far,Interview with the VampireandMayfair Witches, have both included Talamasca members as well as supernatural creatures for the Talamasca to deal with. Talamasca members from these shows plus any never-before-seen members in the new show may have enough on their plate with the witches and vampires viewers already know. However,they may encounter ancient Egyptian immortals like Ramsesfrom Anne Rice’sRamses the Damnedbook series.
9Werewolves From The Wolf Gift Chronicles
The Talamasca May Be Watching Reuben Golding
The mere fact of the Talamasca getting its own TV show suggests aWolf Giftspinoff, or at the very least, its inclusion of content fromThe Wolf Gift.The Wolf Gift Chroniclesfollowed journalist Reuben Golding over his transformation into a werewolfas he learned about his new abilities. Golding leaned into his newfound werewolf status to chase down evildoers, adopting a vigilante status that sometimes made the books feel like a superhero story.
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While not a villain,Golding is the kind of monster that the Talamasca would want to keep tabs on. Their goal is to watch rather than get involved, unless absolutely necessary.The Talamascamay feature a werewolf arc whereby Ciprien Grieves ofMayfair Witches, or another paranormal investigator, may have to get to the bottom of a streak of crimes that seem to be carried out by some kind of dangerous creature.
8Lestat De Lioncourt And Reuben Golding Would Get Along
Lestat And Reuben Might Have A Spark In The Talamasca
Anne Rice had a lot of love for the protagonists ofThe Vampire ChroniclesandThe Wolf Gift Chronicles, Lestat and Reuben, to the point of her suggestion that they’d get along.Lestat has huge ties to the Talamascain the books, so his appearance in the show is totally possible. With werewolf Reuben presenting exactly the kind of beast the Talamasca are there to watch over, the two appearing together inthe newTalamascashowis not a far-fetched idea. Anne Rice said at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo:
I think they’d respect each other… Lestat would be careful. [Reuben] is a guy who can walk in the day, and is very strong and resilient. I think Lestat would be extremely guarded with him, but I think he’d like him. He’d be interested. And I think Reuben would be fascinated with Lestat. Everybody’s fascinated with Lestat. He’s my irresistible one. I think, anyway.
Anne Rice was responding to a question about what would happen if Lestat met Reuben, based on how she often introduced characters from one book series into another. This is why Immortal Universe works so well as a TV franchise - many Anne Rice books that at first seemed disconnected were eventually revealed to exist in the same universe, providing huge scope and flexibility. Themutual fascination between Reuben and Lestat could provide an emotional hookinThe Talamascawithout getting in the way of either character’s main storyline.
7Ciprien Grieves Is Involved In The Talamasca
Mayfair Witches Character Ciprien May Appear
Mayfair Witchesseason 2 is sure to bring one of its main characters, Ciprien Grieve back to the foreground, andthere’s no reason why he couldn’t appear inThe Talamasca. Ciprien is the most prominent member of the Talamasca inMayfair Witches. He introduced viewers to the organization through Rowan as he explained their purpose and his desire to help her control her powers. He seems to be an adaptation of the Michael Curry character inLives of theMayfair Witches.
The Talamasca, Mayfair Witchesseason 2, andInterview with the Vampireseason 3 are estimated for release in 2025.
Ciprien was experiencing some difficulties with his budding romance with new Mayfair witch and main character of the show, Rowan Mayfair, at the end of season 1. With the Talamasca so heavily involved with the Mayfairs in the books and shows, it seems inevitable thatMayfair Witches' main Talamasca representative will crop upin the upcoming show.The Talamascamay reference his troubled relationship arc with Rowan.
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6Julien And Cortland Mayfair Will Be Up To No Good
Cortland’s Father Will Join Mayfair Witches
As revealed in theMayfair Witchesseason 2 trailerat SDCC, the villainous Cortland Mayfair will return inMayfair Witchesseason 2, and his father will be joining him too. As such,The Talamascacould be in for a cameo from the twosometo explore their canonical relationship with the organization. Cortland was different in the books and didn’t fill quite the same antagonistic role, but he was associated with the Talamasca in both show and book.
AMCannounced that Ted Levine will joinMayfair Witchesseason 2 as Julien Mayfair, Cortland’s father. Cortland actor Harry Hamlin promised “many amazing things” between them. With Cortland and the Talamasca working together on the sinister prophecy fulfillment of season 1, Cortland is poised to go through “very, very weird things” as he navigates life with his father inMayfair Witchesseason 2, and quite possiblyThe Talamasca(viaCollider).Julien and Cortland would provideThe Talamascawith a sinister presenceand the means to explore its moral boundaries and limitations.
5The Talamasca May Need To Control The Vampire Felix
Felix Appears In Mayfair Witches Season 2
An exciting crossover teased by theMayfair Witchesseason 2 trailer was the appearance ofInterview with the Vampirecharacter Felix, who could come up against the Talamasca in the upcoming show. Played by Gabriel Freilich, he helped Lestat in the last episode ofInterview with the Vampireand can be seen for a heartbeat bearing his fangs aggressively in theMayfair Witchesseason 2 trailer. Like Reuben,Felix is a character that the Talamasca would try to contain.
Felix was an old and powerful vampire, one of the first members of the Théâtre des Vampires in Anne Rice’s world. With no serious plot points tied into the source material of either Immortal Universe show,he could be a good choice forThe Talamascato take and make their own. Felix’s appearance inMayfair Witchesseason 2 could be planned in and around this, with his interactions with Lestat inInterview with the Vampiredrawing him ever closer to the organization’s mysterious operations.
4Jesse Reeves May Make Her Immortal Universe Appearance
The Queen Of The Damned Character Is A Talamasca Member
As one of the most important characters of Anne Rice’s thirdVampire Chronicle,The Queen of the Damned, and a member of the Talamasca, Jesse Reeves could be one of theAnne Rice characters inThe Talamasca.Interview with the Vampireseason 3 will adapt the secondVampire Chronicle,The Vampire Lestat, but will also touch onThe Queen of the Damned. As such,Jesse may joinInterview with the Vampireseason 3, setting her up for a Talamasca appearance.
Nonetheless, Jesse hasn’t been announced for season 3, and since many of its characters have now been revealed, it would make more sense ifInterview with the Vampirebrought Jesse in for season 4, if they do in fact plan on adapting her character. Regardless of her participation in other Immortal Universe shows,Jesse’s key role in the Talamasca stands her in good stead to appearin the upcoming show. She may end up playing a leading role in the show to allow her true importance in the world’s lore to shine.
3One Mayfair Witch May Join The Talamasca
The Talamasca Could Feature Merrick Mayfair
It’s impossible to ignore Merrick Mayfair when considering possible storylines forThe Talamasca. Merrick is the titular character of the seventhVampire Chronicle,Merrick, andshe may be the only character in Anne Rice lore to be a vampire, a witch, and a member of the Talamasca. She would be a wild card thrown into Immortal Universe, possibly coming across as overpowered in comparison to otherInterview with the Vampirecharactersor herMayfair Witchesfamily.
…Merrick gives Immortal Universe the chance to bring Claudia back as a ghost…
Merrick had a deep bond with Louis in the books, as one of his favorite vampires. Her arc also served a very important narrative purpose - Merrick gives Immortal Universe the chance to bring Claudia back as a ghost, as per her Merrick storyline. Louis self-identifies as a gay man inInterview with the Vampire, soThe Talamascamay downplay romantic feelings from Louis towards Merrick, but it may use Merrick’s love spells to explore sexuality. Either way,Merrick might just have to pop up inThe Talamascaat some point.
Vampire Chronicles’lead anti-hero Lestatis secretly the centerpiece ofInterview with the Vampire, even though seasons 1 and 2 focused on Louis, andThe Talamascacould honor this. With numerous links to the Talamasca, it seems almost inevitable that the vampireLestat de Lioncourt should grace the upcoming show with his presenceat some point. Lestat is due to step into his role as the main character ofThe Vampire ChroniclesinInterview with the Vampireseason 3, as the SDCC trailer made evident. He will be primed from there on to dive into his Talamasca connections.
Lestat’s liaisons with two Talamasca members - Jesse Reeves and the Superior General David Talbot - mark him out as an obvious inclusion forThe Talamasca.Sam Reid’s unhinged Lestat has been one of the highlights of recent television- he would bring sass and drama to whatever episode he joined. While this is an exciting prospect,Interview with the Vampireis so good that AMC+ would have to make sure that other shows were up to its standard before risking muddying its waters with crossovers.
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There’s a major crossover on the cards for Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches but it might be a tough one to roll out well.
1Raglan James May Have Darker Intentions Than It Seems
The Talamasca Member Has A Dark Story
The first Talamasca member to appear in Immortal Universe, Raglan James was instrumental in Daniel Molloy’s success inInterview with the Vampire.It’s likely thatThe Talamascawill feature lots of original characters, having an opportunity to carve out its own path, but the show may be a good avenue to explore some of James' dark, canonical story. Raglan James was featured inThe Tale of the Body Thiefalongside Lestat and David in a crime thriller par excellence, but Raglan James was not as helpful in this story as he was in the show.
Interview with the Vampirewill definitely get to the rest of Raglan James' story, with showrunner Rolin Jones speaking toVulture, confirming that his importance in the show will grow. With his canonical arc incoming, it seems likethis key Talamasca member could at least get a mentionin the upcoming show.The Talamascacould provide interesting Easter eggs and backstory for this vital character, while ensuring it didn’t disrupt the viewing experience of other shows as standalones.
Sources:AMC,Collider,Vulture
Immortal Universe
Based on Anne Rice’s various novel series, such as The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches, Immortal Universe is a gothic-horror fantasy media franchise created by AMC and spearheaded by Anne Rice’s son, Christopher Rice, following her passing. The franchise began in 2022 with a television adaptation of Interview with the Vampire and was continued in 2023 with Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches.
