Anthropic is discussing a new custom chip with Samsung
Boeing-owned Wisk Aero accused of firing manager who raised safety concerns
Melinda Gates’ venture firm backs Magnify Ventures’ $46.6M Fund II
OpenAI proposed donating 5% of its equity to a US sovereign wealth fund
Popular TV-tracking app TV Time is shutting down as company focuses on AI
Josh Gad Joins OCEAN’s Prequel Cast in Major Role
- The upcoming Ocean’s prequel film will star Margot Robbie and Bradley Cooper and follows Danny’s parents in 1962.
Margot Robbie dropped some information about the Ocean‘s prequel film during CinemaCon 2026, and it has us very intrigued. The film, which still doesn’t have an official title quite yet, will take place at the crown jewel of the Formula One circuit, the Monaco Grand Prix. It will focus on Danny Ocean’s parents back in 1962. And yes, this Ocean‘s prequel movie will star Robbie as well as Bradley Cooper, presumably as Danny’s mom and dad. As previously reported, Cooper will write and direct this next installment in the franchise. Recently, Variety reported that Josh Gad will also start in the Ocean’s prequel film, with his role being significant yet a mystery at this time.
Warner Bros.
“Before Danny Ocean ever stepped foot in Vegas, two masterminds taught him everything he knows — his parents,” Robbie said at CinemaCon. “You’ll see them in their prime, and in our new movie, pulling off an epic heist at the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix.”
Wagner Moura will portray the film’s villain, and Monica Barbaro is also joining the cast in an unknown role.
Originally published on April 15, 2026.
The post Josh Gad Joins OCEAN’s Prequel Cast in Major Role appeared first on Nerdist.
Lucid Motors’ CFO is out as its new CEO continues leadership shakeup
Most of Matt Smith’s HOTD Castmates Don’t Know Which Doctor He Played
- Most of Matt Smith’s House of the Dragon castmates did not know which incarnation of the Doctor he played nor what year his era started.
Long before Matt Smith wielded a sword and caused chaos in Westeros in House of the Dragon, he traveled through time and space in a blue box that’s bigger on the inside. Doctor Who fans and those who are into British TV in general are very familiar with his turn as the Eleventh Doctor from 2010 to 2013. Hilariously, most of Matt Smith’s House of the Dragon castmates did not know which incarnation of the Doctor he played nor what year his era started.
During an ensemble cast interview via Vanity Fair, Smith put his HOTD comrades in the hot seat by asking them what number Doctor he was and what year did he make his debut. Fabien Frankel, who portrays Ser Criston Cole, was immediately loud and wrong, proclaiming that he was the Twelfth Doctor. That incarnation was played by Peter Capaldi. He also admitted that he somehow thought Matt was the Second Doctor previously. Matt Smith wasn’t even alive when that Doctor made his debut in 1966.
He continued to be funny, saying the year was 2000 and guessing that Matt was 25 when he took on the role. Smith jokingly told him to “never ask a lady her age” in response to Frankel’s question about how old he is currently. Matt Smith will turn 44 in October 2026, and he was 26 when he came to Doctor Who.
RELATED ARTICLE
Matt Smith Joins STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER in a Villain RoleOlivia Cooke wasn’t sure which number but she did correctly guess that his Doctor era started in 2010. Emma D’Arcy also correctly guessed that Matt Smith was the Eleventh Doctor, with Tom Glynn-Carney saying Twelve. Other cast members looked like deer in headlights and didn’t give an answer at all. When Matt Smith revealed the answers, Fabien Frankel responded with a swear while the others laughed.
BBC/HBO Max
It’s a funny clip that shows this cast’s camaraderie and chemistry that shines through on House of the Dragon. They may not know something that’s widely known about Matt Smith, but they do know that he continues to be legendary as Daemon Targaryen.
The post Most of Matt Smith’s HOTD Castmates Don’t Know Which Doctor He Played appeared first on Nerdist.
US government says it got hacked — again
The Manifestation of Armand and Daniel’s Vampire Bond Is SO Romantic (THE VAMPIRE LESTAT)
- Episode two of The Vampire Lestat sheds some light on the vampire bond between Armand and Daniel and how it manifests. And it is ROMANTIC.
Unfortunately, the vampire Armand does not appear in episode two of The Vampire Lestat. And yet, his presence hovers intensely over the narrative as we finally spend an honest moment with his fledgling, Daniel Molloy. In the first couple of episodes of The Vampire Lestat, Daniel is in fine form. He busily needles at Lestat with an icy humor and a sharp tongue, guzzles blood from a hookah, and overall drips with snark and disdain as the tour’s resident lovable menace to society. Absolutely, though there’s not a trace of transformation trauma on Daniel. No sir. He loves being a vampire. But in episode two, we get a brief moment where Daniel’s walls drop, and we see a brush of what’s underneath, something yearning and vulnerable. And for Daniel, much to the delight of Devil’s Minion shippers, this The Vampire Lestat moment comes courtesy of Armand… Or at least the impact of the vampire bond that lives between Armand and Daniel. And yeahhh, to us, the way Armand and Daniel’s maker/fledgling connection manifests couldn’t be more romantic. (Note: This piece was written after episode two of The Vampire Lestat)
AMC
It’s hard being a vampire whose maker has abandoned you. Doubly hard when you broke your only vampire friend’s trust to publish a book about his life, and inadvertently caused yet another breakup for him. But the good thing about vampiric life is that it tends to be long. And Louis begrudgingly agrees to speak to Daniel again in The Vampire Lestat episode two. Only, we bet he wishes he didn’t when Daniel starts to wax poetically about his vampire bond with Armand, the vampiric equivalent of girl talk, we suppose… Except this time it involves Louis’ manipulative ex, who lied to him for over 70 years, so it’s not surprising he’s not too thrilled about the topic. We, however, are seated.
Vampirism might not be exactly what Daniel expected. #TheVampireLestat pic.twitter.com/6PgM2TeDf8
— The Vampire Lestat (@AMCsAnneRice) June 17, 2026“I have this weird thing that happens where suddenly everyone around me disappears, like the rapture’s come… and I… You know, I feel him.” Daniel confesses to Louis, suddenly stripped of his cackling shrewdness and draped in wide-eyed helplessness. And phew, we have to hand it to Eric Bogosian, who plays Daniel; the delivery of these lines is absolutely crushing. For me, a person invested in this romantic relationship, it stabs me right in my heart. Daniel’s obvious loneliness, the hesitant way he clearly wants to talk about Armand and their vampire bond, but has been locking away the thoughts, even from, especially from, himself—all of that comes flooding to the surface in this brief moment. And the incredible skill it takes to make us feel every bit of Daniel’s vampiric infancy, the way he’s lost, looking for an anchor that isn’t there, we cannot say enough about it.
AMC
Also incredible is the deadpan, unimpressed way Jacob Anderson’s Louis delivers, “Armand?” in response to Daniel’s confession, making me briefly cackle. But Daniel presses on, self-depricating and wry, asking “Yeah…That happen with you and Lestat?” Louis confirms it didn’t. (“No. Sounds weird.”) And they move on. But I’m still stuck in that moment.
There’s a lot to unpack here. Of course, according to Louis in Interview with the Vampire season one, all vampires are connected to their makers in an intense, emotional way, and vice versa. Louis, not immune to poetic maker whims himself, describes his own connection with Lestat in the following gorgeous way. “The vampire bond. There is no human equivalent… It’s a bond that can never fully be severed. A bond like that makes you believe there are only two of you on the planet. Freedom and chastity wrapped in one person.” And, in season two of Interview with the Vampire, it’s implied that after Louis transforms Claudia’s companion, Madeleine, into a vampire, she can sense his feelings, and he can sense her presence and absence. While in both cases, a powerful tie exists, it does seem like Louis’ great love for Lestat makes his bond with his maker even stronger and more affecting.
AMC
Which leads us to Armand, Daniel, and the case of the missing universe. Because even though Louis notes his vampire bond with Lestat “[makes] him believe there are only two of [them] on the planet,” we guess he means that figuratively, not literally. Whereas Daniel seems to be indicating he’s experiencing… an actual falling away of reality that leaves only Daniel and the feeling of Armand in existence, when Armand isn’t even there… That we know of. That feels like a pretty powerful vampire bond to us. A bond of love, we might extrapolate? If it’s magnifying the impact of the maker/fledgling connection even beyond where Louis and Lestat’s bond lives, taking it into completely new territory.
We don’t yet know exactly how Daniel was turned in Interview with the Vampire, and it sounds like we may not know for certain until season four. We also don’t know whether fan theories based on Anne Rice’s books, which speculate that Armand and Daniel fell in love when Daniel was young, only for Armand to erase those memories at some point, hold any water. What we do know is that we can’t imagine anything more beautifully romantic and deliciously toxic than the whole world turning to nothing, leaving only Armand and Daniel in it, as a reflection of their vampire bond. Inject it. Put it in my veins.
RELATED ARTICLE
THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Review: Devil’s Minion EditionWeirdly, I’m reminded of Wanda and Vision from the MCU, who were meant to be the romantic heart of the franchise. And though I personally didn’t really super resonate with their love story, even I could see their most intense line was point-perfect. In Avengers: Infinity War, Wanda has to destroy Vision, and as she does, he tells her that she doesn’t have to worry about him because, “I just feel you.” In a sense, it feels to me like Daniel isn’t really feeling much of anything at this point, but sometimes he just feels Armand.
All of this just over the ephemeral vampiric bond between Armand and Daniel, and the pair haven’t even shared a scene yet in The Vampire Lestat. I know I speak for many people other than myself when I say, “and then what happens?”
Update after Episode Four of The Vampire Lestat: Having seen the vampire bond between Armand and Daniel in action in The Vampire Lestat, I can affirm it is the most romantic thing ever. While Daniel might think that it’s messed up, the way the world wipes away around them, leaving Armand and Daniel as the only two people left in it, is truly gorgeous in the most haunted, and, okay, Daniel, messed-up way. But when we look at true fictional love, the idea of a bond being so strong that nothing else can withstand it is up there with all the other epic love stories. We hope, in time, Armand and Daniel’s vampire bond brings something important and powerful to them.
hey guys. remember how this is just canon now. armand loves daniel. that’s canon. pic.twitter.com/WqbeeoNmsb
— emma (@hucklesrobby) June 29, 2026The Vampire Lestat releases at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+. You can also read The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice today as you wait for the next episode of the series to arrive.
Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist. She is ready for Devil’s Minion to become canon so one of her ships can finally sail.
This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!
Originally published on June 14, 2026.
The post The Manifestation of Armand and Daniel’s Vampire Bond Is SO Romantic (THE VAMPIRE LESTAT) appeared first on Nerdist.
Microsoft launches its own AI deployment company with $2.5 billion commitment
The Book Inspirations Behind the Armand/Daniel Vampiric Pairing in INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (And What ‘Devil’s Minion’ Really Means)
- The Interview with the Vampire season two finale gave fans a Daniel/Armand pairing straight from Anne Rice’s novels. Here, we provide context about the Devil’s Minion pairing from the books.
- Armand and Daniel’s relationship features in “The Story of Daniel, the Devil’s Minion, or the Boy from Interview with the Vampire” from Queen of the Damned.
- AMC’s Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat series continue to adapt the pair’s tale.
The finale of Interview with the Vampire season two had quite the twist, one that continues to be critical as the series continues on in The Vampire Lestat. A flash forward showed the audience that the Vampire Armand (Assad Zaman) had turned the reporter Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) into a vampire, some time before or after published his interviews with Louis and Armand as a book. We still don’t know exactly how and when this happened… Or the full motivations behind it. It was implied to be an act committed more out of spite towards Daniel than out of love, but that’s not entirely certain at this point either. However, Armand making Daniel a vampire on Interview with the Vampire does have its origins in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series of novels.
AMC
In the novels, Daniel Molloy doesn’t even have a proper name until the third novel in Rice’s series, The Queen of the Damned. In the 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire, the young reporter was simply referred to as “the Boy.” At the end of that first novel, he ran off, with Louis’ tapes in tow, hoping to find Lestat. In book two, The Vampire Lestat, we find out that the boy had the recordings transcribed and published as the book Interview with the Vampire. A recently reemerged Lestat discovered that his name and much of his life was put on public display for mortals, passed off as fiction. Yet we never learned what became of the young reporter until Rice’s third novel when we got ALL of the details.
“The Story of Daniel, the Devil’s Minion, or the Boy from Interview with the Vampire“ from Queen of the DamnedIn 1988’s Queen of the Damned, we learned in Part 1, Chapter 4, a chapter called “The Story of Daniel, the Devil’s Minion, or the Boy from Interview with the Vampire” that the anonymous boy went searching for Lestat after his fateful interview with Louis in San Francisco in 1973. We also now had a proper name for him—Daniel Molloy. Lestat was slumbering at the time of Daniel’s search, and he didn’t find the undead French aristocrat. Instead, the Vampire Armand finds Daniel while he searches for Lestat, during a time when Armand made New Orleans his home. No other vampires lived there, as Lestat had long ago gone to sleep. Armand had “cleaned out” the city of any younger vampires. No one else dared to call New Orleans home at this time, as it was Armand’s territory.
AMC
Scanning Daniel’s thoughts upon encountering him, Armand discovered this young mortal boy knew his name, and his true vampiric nature, and became fascinated. He began stalking him, and no matter what city or country Daniel ran to, Armand would find him. At first, he casually threatened to kill him if he ever published his book. Yet he continued to allow him to live for his own amusement. Then something unexpected happened. After years of cat and mouse, Armand came to actually love the mortal Daniel. Even so, he constantly refused to give him the Dark Gift, no matter how much he begged.
Daniel, Armand, and the Night IslandMany years into their relationship, Armand decided to become “incalculably wealthy.” Using his knowledge of where old ships with treasure lay at the bottom of the ocean, he recruited Daniel, who now saw himself as “the Devil’s Minion,” to help him procure wealth. All while he was asleep during the day. With this fortune, Armand, with forged documents Daniel helped him create, purchased an island off the coast of Florida. Armand turned it into an entertainment and shopping paradise that came alive only after dark called The Night Island.
Armand and Daniel lived at Night Island for years in the Vampire Chronicles. Daniel had everything he wanted from Armand, the finest clothes, the newest cars, all except the one thing he wanted most—to become a vampire himself. However, when Daniel’s life was in danger, on one of the many instances when he would run away from Armand, the 500-year-old vampire gave him what he wanted at last, and turned him. As Armand feared, however, making Daniel a vampire would only serve to drive a bigger wedge between them.
Daniel and Armand in AMC’s Interview with the Vampire
AMC
All we know from the AMC Interview with the Vampire series is that sometime after Daniel reveals to Louis the truth about Armand, and how he planned to let his Paris coven execute him along with Claudia, he turns Daniel into a vampire. But when did this happen? We don’t know yet. Do Interview with the Vampire‘s Daniel and Armand engage in a relationship similar to the one they had in the books? There doesn’t seem enough time for that intense love/hate relationship to have happened offscreen. Unless there is one further wrinkle to Daniel and Armand’s story that Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat is waiting to spring on us.
We know from episode five of season two of the series, that Armand encountered Daniel back in 1973, interrupting Louis almost killing Daniel. Not only encountered him, but very nearly killed him, and erased his memories of the event. Yet he clearly had a fascination with Daniel, and Interview with the Vampire leaves space for the possibility that the pair had a relationship decades ago. One that Armand could have then wiped from Daniel’s mind. After all, there is a limited series AMC announced called The Night Island. Could this series, at least in part, involve Interview with the Vampire‘s Armand and Daniel and their relationship? It is getting closer.
AMC+
Devil’s Minion in The Vampire Lestat
In The Vampire Lestat, Devil’s Minion is shaping up to become a true romance. In episode four of the series, Armand confesses his love to Daniel, a sentiment that even Armand did not fully intend to express. Assad Zaman tells us of the moment, “I think it comes out, it’s an honest confession that, ‘Yes, you can hate me, you can hate me for what I did. I manipulated you. I turned you, I did some fucked up shit, but that pretending to let you manipulate me… That’s not true. You think you were under my spell, actually, I was under your spell. That’s why you were able to free everyone,’ and maybe that’s part of it… So yeah, it’s a really tender moment that comes out.”
AMC
We also learn a little bit about Daniel’s turning, although we likely won’t see it in full until season four of The Vampire Lestat. And what we learn is that Armand turned Daniel on an airplane (in Newark) and then ran away. For whatever reason, he couldn’t wait until Daniel landed or got to NYC proper. Was Daniel dying the way he is in Anne Rice’s Devil’s Minion chapter in Queen of the Damned? We can’t yet say with certainty.
Additionally, we learn that Daniel and Armand’s vampire bond manifests in a unique, powerful way, even among vampires. Sometimes, when they connect, the whole world vanishes around them, literally, and they can only feel one another. We call that ROMANCE! Could that have to do with a secret past of Daniel drinking Armand’s blood? Again, we just don’t know.
Ultimately, there are lots of ways this story could go for Daniel and Armand, and we’re eager to see how Interview with the Vampire tackles this fan-favorite pairing going forward.
Originally published July 1, 2024.
The post The Book Inspirations Behind the Armand/Daniel Vampiric Pairing in INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (And What ‘Devil’s Minion’ Really Means) appeared first on Nerdist.
THE VAMPIRE LESTAT’S Backstory, Explained in Linear Fashion
- On AMC’s The Vampire Lestat, the Brat Prince’s backstory is told out of sequence, but we present to you Lestat’s history chronologically to help you make sense of this season of the show.
The Vampire Lestat has premiered its first episode on AMC, adapting Anne Rice’s second novel in her Vampire Chronicles series. This 1985 book truly made Lestat a star, elevating his undead status next to the likes of Dracula. Sam Reid reprises his role from Interview with the Vampire, with his backstory from the novel told largely in a non-linear fashion. So to help guide you through these tangled narrative vines, we present the undead rock star Lestat’s canonical history, as told by Anne Rice in The Vampire Lestat. We start with his birth in the 18th century and follow him until he meets Louis de Pointe du Lac in New Orleans.
Alfred A. Knopf/Ballantine Books
The Mortal Life of Lestat de Lioncourt in 18th Century France
The mortal Lestat de Lioncourt was born on November 7, 1760. That’s the same birthday as Anne Rice’s husband Stan, who the character of Lestat is physically based on. (Louis shares Anne’s birthday of October 4.) He was born the son of an aristocratic lord in the French countryside, in a place called the Auvergne. His family long ago had spent all their wealth. Lestat’s father was a cruel tyrant who married a much younger heiress from Italy named Gabrielle. She gave birth to several sons for him, many of whom died in childbirth. The youngest, and the only one who took after her (and not his father), was Lestat.
AMC Networks
Lestat aspired to be an artist and actor, completely different from his boorish brothers. Thus, he maintained a close relationship with his mother. When he grew to adulthood, he became the family hunter, protecting their ancestral lands. One day, when he was 21 years old (29 in the TV series), he saved the nearby village from a pack of eight wolves, who very nearly killed him. It was after this incident that Lestat discovered his mother was dying of consumption. As her last wish, she bequeathed all her jewels to Lestat, so he could run away to Paris and fulfill his dream of being an actor on stage.
AMC Networks
Which Episodes of The Vampire Lestat Show This Part of Lestat’s Backstory?
Episode two of The Vampire Lestat reveals this part of Lestat’s life, showing his time in Auvergne and his killing of the wolves, which earns him the title “Wolf-Killer.”
Lestat’s Vampire Life Begins in ParisLestat and his childhood friend Nicolas de Lenfent, a cynical violinist who was now his lover, fled to the big city together. They both got work in a shabby theater in the heart of the city, where Lestat quickly became a rising star. Nicolas, meanwhile, sank further into depression as Lestat’s on-stage fame grew. One night, Lestat noticed a face in the audience stalking him, whispering the words “Wolfkiller” into his mind. One night, this being, who turned out to be a vampire, captured Lestat from his home and dragged him to his tower outside Paris. There, he forced him to become an undead being against his will. The Vampire Lestat was born.
RELATED ARTICLE
50 Years of INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE in Pop CultureLestat’s vampire maker, Magnus, was about 300 years old, and an outcast from vampiric society. He had grown tired of eternal life, and chose Lestat as his heir. In part because of his beautiful looks, but also for his bravery in killing the wolves. Once Lestat became a vampire, Magnus flung himself into the fire, ending his existence. Thus, leaving Lestat without a teacher. Lestat took to his vampire existence like a duck to water, killing the many thieves and scoundrels of Paris. He bought the theater he worked at, giving his fellow actors continued employment. But he kept his new vampiric nature a secret from his lover, Nicolas, and kept his distance.
Which Episodes of The Vampire Lestat Show This Part of Lestat’s Backstory?Episode three of The Vampire Lestat reveals this part of Lestat’s life, showing his time with Nicki and his turning by Magnus.
Lestat Turns His Dying Mother into a Vampire
AMC Networks
Eventually, Lestat’s mother, Gabrielle, came to Paris to see her son one last time and to spend her final nights there. On her deathbed, Lestat revealed his true nature to her, and turned her into a vampire. Gabrielle became his first fledgling and companion in immortality. The two made Paris their hunting ground, although they’d often hear the telepathic voices of other vampires in the city calling them outcasts and blasphemers. Eventually, these Parisian vampires attacked them directly.
Which Episodes of The Vampire Lestat Show This Part of Lestat’s Backstory?Episode two of The Vampire Lestat reveals this part of Lestat’s life, revealing Gabriella’s turning to us—but changing its occasion and consequences from the books.
Meeting Armand and the Children of Darkness
AMC Networks
These vampires were cultists, who lived in the nearby cemetery of Les Innocents. They believed what their mentor, the ancient vampire Armand, had taught them. They considered themselves the Children of Satan, and they had to live among the dead, stay away from mortals (except to feed), and run from crucifixes, as Satan commanded. But Lestat didn’t obey any of those rules. And because of his and Gabrielle’s presence, they knew the “rules” Armand had been feeding them for centuries were all lies and superstitions. Lies Armand told them to keep the coven under his thumb.
With his hold of the coven shattered by Lestat, and its members fleeing, Armand tried to become the new companion of Lestat. He told Lestat how an ancient Roman vampire named Marius had transformed him when he was a slave boy in Renaissance Venice. The Satanic vampires of Italy set Marius on fire for living against their dogmatic rules, leaving him for dead, and they kidnapped the young Armand. They brainwashed him into believing in their religion, and Armand became a leader among the Children of Darkness. He never truly believed in their ways, but used their dogma to control his Satanic coven in Paris.
RELATED ARTICLE
The Weird History of Anne Rice’s Vampires in Comic Books Which Episodes of The Vampire Lestat Show This Part of Lestat’s Backstory?We haven’t yet specifically seen these events in The Vampire Lestat, but we see glimpses of the events that directly follow them, with Nicki, Armand, and Lestat together in Paris.
Lestat Helps Create the Théâtre des VampiresUltimately, Lestat rejected Armand, and transformed his lover, Nicolas, into a vampire. He did this despite Armand and Gabrielle warning him against it. Nicolas almost instantly went mad from the vampiric blood, and told Lestat that he resented and hated him for ever keeping it from him. Lestat and Gabrielle decided to leave Paris, but they left the theater he had bought to Armand and what remained of his coven. They transformed it into the Théâtre des Vampires, where they acted out vampiric plays for Parisian mortal audiences who believed it all to be fake.
AMC Networks
Nicolas remained at the Théâtre des Vampires, in Armand’s care, while Lestat and Gabrielle searched for Marius, Armand’s maker. Even though Armand told them he was killed by the Children of Darkness centuries earlier, they didn’t believe a vampire that ancient could be destroyed so easily. They searched together for years, and found no sign of Marius de Romanus anywhere on Earth. After Nicolas finally threw himself into the flames, and Gabrielle decided to leave her son to be a lone wolf, a despondent Lestat buried himself in the Earth, where he remained for years. In the books, Gabrielle would leave Lestat on his own much more regularly than we see in the series, but only truly left when he ordered her to go in a fit of anger. In the series, Gabriella dances away of her own accord.
Which Episodes of The Vampire Lestat Show This Part of Lestat’s Backstory?We haven’t yet specifically seen these events in The Vampire Lestat, but we see glimpses of the events that directly follow them, with Nicki, Armand, and Lestat together in Paris in episode three. In episode four of The Vampire Lestat, we see Gabriella deciding to leave Lestat to exist on her own.
Lestat Meets the Vampire Marius, Keeper of Akasha, Queen of the Damned
Warner Bros.
Eventually, Marius chose to reveal himself to Lestat, and pulled him out of the ground. This is after his mother Gabrielle abandons him, and he buried himself in the earth in Italy. He fed him his powerful blood and nurtured him back to health. He revealed himself as the keeper of “Those Who Must Be Kept,” also known as Queen Akasha and King Enkil of Egypt. Nearly 2,000 years prior, the scholar Marius was transformed into a vampire in ancient Rome. But only to become the new caretaker of Those Who Must Be Kept. This 6,000-year-old royal pair were the ancient progenitors of the vampire species, and all vampire bloodlines came from them. They no longer drank blood, or spoke, or moved, frozen like statues.
Which Episodes of The Vampire Lestat Show This Part of Lestat’s Backstory?We haven’t yet specifically seen these events in The Vampire Lestat.
Lestat Arrives in New Orleans, Creates Louis and Claudia
AMC Networks
Since their destruction meant the entire species would be destroyed, they needed to be kept secret and safe. Marius had been their keeper for millennia and entrusted Lestat with this knowledge. But he made him swear to never tell a living soul. When Lestat played Nicolas’ violin for Akasha, she awoke momentarily and let Lestat drink her powerful and ancient blood. This made the young Lestat one of the most powerful vampires on Earth, despite being so young. Marius then told Lestat to flee to the New World, someplace where barely any vampires existed. Someplace that even Akasha could not find him. And that’s when Lestat wound up in New Orleans, and met his fledgling Louis, and the events of Interview with the Vampire began.
If you’ve seen seasons one and two of Interview with the Vampire, or the 1994 film adaptation, you probably know what became of Lestat next. Of course, many things happen to Lestat after the events of book two, but we’ll have to wait and see if AMC plans to adapt those books as well.
The Vampire Lestat airs at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+. You can also read The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice today as you wait for the next episode of the series to air.
Eric Diaz is a staff writer at Nerdist and a life-long Anne Rice fan. Yes, he is a member of the OG fan club.
This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!
Originally publishe in June 2026.
The post THE VAMPIRE LESTAT’S Backstory, Explained in Linear Fashion appeared first on Nerdist.
Major Changes AMC’s THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Makes to Anne Rice’s Books
- AMC’s The Vampire Lestat pulls many elements from Anne Rice’s original novels, but also makes some fairly major changes too.
AMC’s The Vampire Lestat pulls many scenarios and moments straight from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Naturally, the series mainly pulls from book two, The Vampire Lestat, but also borrows from other titles in Rice’s 13-book series. Here, we detail where the AMC series draws direct inspiration from Rice’s prose, episode by episode, but especially where it deviates from the books in a big way. Let’s check out the biggest references and most major changes that The Vampire Lestat makes to Anne Rice’s books.
Table of contents- The Vampire Lestat Episode 1: “Detroit”
- The Vampire Lestat , Episode 2: “Toledo”
- The Vampire Lestat , Episode 3: “Toronto”
- The Vampire Lestat , Episode 4: “The Devil’s Road”
AMC
The Vampire Lestat (1985), “Downtown Saturday Night in the 20th Century: 1984”: Location Changes, Louis Insertions, and Time Shifts
Lestat living adjacent to a garage band named Satan’s Night Out, who convince him to join their band, is all from how Anne Rice’s novel opens. This takes place in the chapter “Downtown Saturday Night in the 20th Century: 1984.” However, in The Vampire Lestat book, this all occurs in New Orleans, not Montreal.
Also, Lestat learns from the band that Louis has detailed their lives together in book form. In the AMC series, Lestat finds out the book via an email alert. He has already reunited with Louis in the AMC series, and the book serves to break them up again. This also marks a major change from The Vampire Lestat, which barely features Louis at all. In fact, in the book, Lesat forms a rock band partially to lure Louis back to him. Also, all of this takes place in the present day in the The Vampire Lestat series, and not in 1984.
The Vampire Lestat (1985), “Dionysus in San Francisco: 1985”: Dracula’s Daughter Changes Locations
AMC
In episode one, the Detroit vampires attack Lestat in the boutique hotel called Dracula’s Daughter. This references the vampire covens attacking him at his Halloween night concert in the climax of Rice’s The Vampire Lestat. However, in the book, Dracula’s Daughter is a bar in San Francisco, not a hotel.
The Vampire Lestat, Episode 2: “Toledo”
AMC
The Vampire Lestat (1985),”Lelio Rising”: Lestat’s Stuttering is a TV Series Invention
Lestat’s flashbacks to his mortal life in 18th-century France are how he begins his story in Rice’s The Vampire Lestat. All the details about his cruel older brothers and father tormenting him as a child are from the opening portions of the novel, “Lelio Rising.” Lestat de Lioncourt, taking on the task of killing the wolves attacking the local village, is also from this section of the novel. So is his close relationship with his mother, Gabriella.
However, Lestat’s struggles with stuttering as a young child, which The Vampire Lestat spends a great deal of time on, are an invention of the AMC series.
The Queen of the Damned (1988), “The Short, Happy Life of Baby Jenks and the Fang Gang”: The Fang Gang and Baby Jenks Change From Book to The Vampire Lestat SeriesThe name of the Detroit vampires, the Fang Gang, comes from the third Vampire Chronicles novel, The Queen of the Damned. But in the Anne Rice novel, the Fang Gang were not against Lestat for exposing the secrets of the undead to the world. Instead, they wanted to join him. The Fang Gang in the AMC series, meanwhile, is attempting to kill Lestat for breaking “The Great Laws.”
This is what most vampires were threatening to do at the start of the novel, The Queen of the Damned. Additionally, in the novels, Baby Jenks is a newly created vampire who is a part of the Fang Gang. She is killed by Queen Akasha when she rises. In the show, that has yet to occur, marking another change between The Vampire Lestat series and Anne Rice’s books.
The Vampire Lestat (1985), “Downtown Saturday Night in the 20th Century: 1984”: Who Is Telling the Truth?
AMC+
When Daniel Molloy and Louis talk about Daniel’s publishing of Interview with the Vampire, Louis says he didn’t like how he came across in it. He says he was a liar, and not just a “Lying to myself kind of liar, a f#%*ing liar.” Daniel says Lestat claims an entire scenario described in Interview with the Vampire, with Lestat attacking them on a train, flat out never happened. This tracks with Lestat’s revelations in the opening chapter of The Vampire Lestat. This is where he says some of Louis’ confessions about him were complete fabrications. In the TV series, it remains unclear if either one of them is telling the full truth.
The Vampire Lestat (1985) “Viaticum for the Marquise.”AMC
Lestat’s recollections of making his dying mother into a vampire come from the section of The Vampire Lestat titled “Viaticum for the Marquise.” Gabriella’s decision to become a vampire right away is from this section of the book. One big deviation is that in the AMC series, Lestat and Gabriella return to Lestat’s ancestral home and kill Lestat’s brothers. Gabriella then kills her now-blind husband, and they leave their bodies for their children to find. In the novels, Lestat’s blind father survives, escapes the French Revolution, and flees to New Orleans. In Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, Lestat asks Louis to kill his father, because he can’t bring himself to do it. This is a major change to the text and in Lestat’s story in The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat, Episode 3: “Toronto”
AMC
The Vampire Lestat (1985) “Lelio Rising”: Lestat and Nicki’s Romance
In the flashbacks in episode three, “Toronto,” we see the romance between Nicholas de Lenfant (Joseph Potter) and Lestat back in 18th-century France. Most of it is very accurate to Anne Rice’s canon, with some small differences. Lestat and Nicki were childhood friends, but Nicki was the one who gave Lestat the wolf-lined coat in his home village in the book. He had already been to Paris and come back home a failed student of Mozart’s. He and Lestat then leave together for Paris, Lestat for his first time, Nicki for his second.
The Vampire Lestat (1985) “The Children of Darkness”: Nicki’s Death ChangesNicki begging for Lestat to turn him into a vampire, and his mother, Gabriella, claiming it will end in disaster, are straight from the novel. So is Nicki going mad from the vampiric transformation. However Nicki’s The Vampire Lestat death changes from book to series. In the novel, it was Armand who chopped off his hands to keep him from playing his violin when he broke coven rules. Meanwhile, it is Nicki who throws himself into the fire in The Vampire Lestat book. In The Vampire Lestat series, Lestat changes the tale to say Armand pushed Nicki into the fire and held him there. But whether or not that is true remains to be seen.
RELATED ARTICLE
Joseph Potter on Changes to Nicki’s Death and His Love for Lestat in THE VAMPIRE LESTATAlso, Lestat is not present when Nicolas takes his own life by going into the fire in the book. In The Vampire Lestat novel, this event happens years after Lestat leaves Paris, and he learns about Nicki’s death via letters from vampires in the Paris coven. It’s unclear whether The Vampire Lestat series has changed Lestat leaving completely, and if Nicki and Armand still spent any time alone without Lestat present as the did in the book.
The Vampire Lestat (1985) “The Legacy of Magnus”: Lestat’s Transformation
AMC+
The ancient vampire Magnus (Damien Atkins) stalking the mortal Lestat when he was an actor in a small Paris theater, and then kidnapping him and forcing him to become his vampire heir, was straight from the novel. However, in The Vampire Lestat series, there are slight changes. For one, we don’t see Magnus leaving Lestat with his vast fortune of gold and jewels, nor do we see him throwing himself into the flames. Although Lestat does mention the latter having happened, Nicki alludes to Lestat returning from his time with Magnus richer than before.
The Vampire Lestat, Episode 4: “The Devil’s Road”
AMC
The Vampire Lestat (1985): “On the Devil’s Road from Paris to Cairo:” Gabriella Leaves Lestat Is the One Thing the Show DOESN’T Change (Much)
Episode four changes the story of The Vampire Lestat the most from the events of the original novel. Louis’ obsession with Claudia lookalike Regina, Armand visiting Lestat while on tour to make amends for past behavior, and Lestat being shot after a concert to expose him as a vampire are all creations of the TV series writers. However, the flashback to the parting of the ways between Lestat and his mother, Gabriella, draws inspiration from passages from Anne Rice’s prose in The Vampire Lestat. In the series, Gabriella abandons Lestat on a beach in Italy, seeking to wander the world without him. However, in the book, Gabrielle leaves her son for days and weeks at a time, until Lestat finally discovers she kept the knowledge of his mortal family’s death from him. In a rage, he asks her to leave him, and she obliges. In the series, she leaves of her own accord, although it’s clear that’s what she wanted in both instances.
Devils’ Minion Takes a New Shape
The relationship between Armand and Daniel in Anne Rice’s world becomes canon in the book, The Queen of the Damned. In a chapter called “The Story of Daniel, the Devil’s Minion, or the Boy from Interview with the Vampire,“ Rice tells of Daniel and Armand’s love and Daniel’s vampiric turning. Of course, The Vampire Lestat/Interview with the Vampire has already changed Daniel’s story quite a lot. But something interesting that changes between Armand and Daniel in The Vampire Lestat is the nature of their vampiric bond. In the series, it seems something about Armand and Daniel’s connection makes the whole world fade away around them. What does that mean? We don’t yet know.
We are quite certain the series will make even more changes to Rice’s text as The Vampire Lestat continues. So keep checking back here for new updates. In the meantime, The Vampire Lestat airs on AMC and AMC+, Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT and midnight, respectively. You can also snag The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice to read, if you’d like to keep up with all the various changes between show and series.
This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!
Originally published on June 14, 2026.
The post Major Changes AMC’s THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Makes to Anne Rice’s Books appeared first on Nerdist.
Tesla saw a massive sales jump in the second quarter
Rivian raises EV sales forecast as Q2 production ramps up
Yep, we’re using OpenClaw to date now
Indian tech tycoon bets $30M of his own money to build AI alternative to Microsoft Office
Apple is reportedly planning new iPad Pro and MacBook Pro releases early next year
GILMORE GIRLS Says Ta-Ta to Netflix and Hello to Prime Video
- As of July 1, Gilmore Girls is only available for streaming on Prime Video.
- The series follows a mother-daughter duo as they navigate life in a small town.
- Netflix will keep the sequel series, A Year in the Life.
It’s the end of an era. After 12 years as a Netflix staple, the cozy dramedy Gilmore Girls is moving to Prime Video. Netflix, however, will get to keep the 2016 sequel series, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
Hallmark
The series stars Lauren Graham as the forever quick-witted Lorelai and Alexis Bledel as her studious daughter, Rory. The story follows the pair as they “come of age,” in a sense, together, in a small, quirky town. Lorelai is a young mom with a close friendship with her daughter, Rory. As Rory navigates high school and then college, Lorelai learns her own lessons about motherhood and love. The side characters are widely beloved, from Lorelai’s ultimate love interest, Luke, and her best friend, Sookie, to the town oddball, Kirk. Rory interacts with a whole other cast of characters as she grows up, including a variety of friends, frenemies, and romantic interests.
The series was a hit when it was airing, with episodes coming out weekly. Now, though, it is more popular than ever. Fans particularly love to watch during the fall, during which the best parts of the story take place, and audiences crave a cozy, warm-fuzzies comfort show to keep the gloom away.
Just after Gilmore Girls arrived on Netflix in 2014, the streamer announced a reboot, A Year in the Life. It was a four-episode miniseries of 90-minute episodes taking place about nine years after the finale of the original show. In terms of other Gilmore Girls content, a documentary called Searching for Stars Hollow is rumored to be in the works with no set release date yet. Ink On Paper Studios announced it as part of the show’s 25th anniversary last year.
A Year in the Life will stay on Netflix, but the seven seasons of Gilmore Girls are all Prime Video’s now. If you are looking forward to a yearly rewatch of the show, make sure you remember where to find it!
As of July 1, it will only be available for streaming on Prime Video.
The post GILMORE GIRLS Says Ta-Ta to Netflix and Hello to Prime Video appeared first on Nerdist.