Shared universe franchises have become so common in Hollywood that the concept has now made its way to television. Yet there’s one underrated horror franchise that I believe deserves far more recognition than it gets. Properties like Marvel and Star Wars have successfully bridged film and television like never before, while shows like The Boys and Star Trek prove that even TV-original properties can become massive multi-story hits. For better or worse, the shared universe concept has carried into the 2020s.
However, the horror genre has struggled to replicate that success — until one literary icon’s universe arrived on AMC in 2022.
What Is the Immortal Universe?
A Horror Icon’s World Is Resurrected
After a lengthy 14-year wait for the theatrical rights to revert to her, acclaimed author Anne Rice and her son Christopher Rice began pitching the television rights to her literary works to various studios and production companies in hopes of creating a TV series. AMC Studios secured the rights to adapt the author’s works in 2020, with both Rice and her son serving as producers until Rice’s passing in 2021.
Despite her death, 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. In 2022, audiences were drawn into one vampire’s story of love, loss, and the search for 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 long life to journalist Daniel Malloy (Eric Bogosian) during the 2021 pandemic. Along the way, Louis addresses the freedoms and challenges that vampirism brought, his turbulent 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. Louis confronts the web of lies and half-truths his life has become entangled in.
Interview with the Vampire has been praised as a well-crafted update to Rice’s work, adding new layers to its characters through both the writing and the cast’s performances. Seasons 1 and 2 adapted 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.
Cast and Crew
- Release Date: 2022–2024
- Network: AMC
- Showrunner: Rolin Jones
- Cast: Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Delainey Hayles, Ben Daniels, Bailey Bass, and more
- Franchise: Immortal Universe
- Genre: Drama
- Seasons: 2
- Created by: Rolin Jones
- Based on: Works by Anne Rice
- Streaming: AMC+
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 plays Dr. Rowan Fielding, who learns she descends from a coven of witches, bringing her back to New Orleans. With her family’s mystical responsibilities 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 continuing titles in the Immortal Universe, with season 3 entering production in 2025. However, it has also proven more controversial, receiving mixed reviews online. Personally, I found Mayfair Witches lacked the tight, consistent storytelling that Interview with the Vampire delivered, feeling far less focused than the franchise’s opening series.
Cast and Crew
- Release Date: January 7, 2023
- Cast: Alexandra Daddario, Tongayi Chirisa, Jack Huston, Harry Hamlin, and more
- Genre: Drama
- Creators: Esta Spalding, Michelle Ashford
- Seasons: 1
- Franchise: Immortal Universe
- Based on: Works by Anne Rice
- Streaming: AMC+
Talamasca: The Secret Order
The Secret Order Is Forced Out of the Shadows
In 2025, the Immortal Universe brought the organizations that monitor monsters and the mystical into the spotlight with Talamasca: The Secret Order. In the series, young new recruit Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton) is brought in to investigate a conspiracy surrounding one sect of the Talamasca believed to have gone rogue. Along the way, Guy learns that his own family may hold secrets connecting him to the supernatural.
For me, Talamasca: The Secret Order delivers a more focused and engaging story than Mayfair Witches, helped in part by its ties to the ongoing story and ramifications of Interview with the Vampire following season 2. However, any potential follow-ups have been hindered by the show’s cancellation in 2026.
Cast and Crew
- Release Date: 2025–2026
- Network: AMC
- Cast: Nicholas Denton, Celine Buckens, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, William Fichtner, Elizabeth McGovern, and more
- Genre: Fantasy
- Creator: John Lee Hancock
- Seasons: 1
How Is the Immortal Universe Interconnected?
Connections Between the Shows Are Subtle
At the time of writing, there have not been any major connections between the three shows of the Immortal Universe, with each series largely performing as standalone stories with some allusions to one another. However, organizations like the Talamasca have played a role in every 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 its cultural impact being referenced across several shows.
What Is Next for the Immortal Universe?
AMC Is Eyeing Other Stories
Right now, 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 flash-forward 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 could be on a world-shaking scale, and the flash-forward along with hints at a much broader vampire mythology have teased these events.
Additionally, two more series set in this world are in development. Announced in 2023, Night Island is set to expand on the Interview with the Vampire corner of the world through a side story centered on the titular resort. Alongside this, AMC has also confirmed that Memnoch the Devil will be adapted, confirming that Lestat and the characters around him will continue to play a major role.
Where to Stream the Immortal Universe
The Franchise Is Surprisingly Accessible on Streaming
As of now, the Immortal Universe can be found on AMC+, with new episodes of The Vampire Lestat airing on both the streaming platform and AMC. Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches are also available through Netflix and Roku’s services.
For horror fans, AMC has more than proven itself capable of handling long-running horror hits through its Walking Dead universe. The streamer is well-equipped to help Rice’s world achieve lasting success. While most major shared universes focus on space adventures and superheroes, the Immortal Universe is a refreshing change of pace that deserves far more recognition.
