It’s official: season 3 of Interview with the Vampire has started filming, and as promised, the spotlight is finally shifting from Louis to Lestat. And not just any Lestat — we’re talking about rock star Lestat. That’s right. If you’ve read The Vampire Lestat, Anne Rice’s second book in The Vampire Chronicles, you already know where this is going. If you haven’t… prepare yourself for a storyline as grand as it is absurd — in the best possible way.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, straight from the 2025 Comic-Con special issue, Sam Reid (who’s been delivering a deliciously unforgettable Lestat since season one) laughs and admits: “Sometimes I think, what the hell are we doing?” But the truth is — they’re doing it. And he is, finally, in control of the narrative.

After two seasons shaped by Louis’ wounded, melancholic perspective, Lestat now grabs the mic — literally — to tell his own version of events. The series will dive headfirst into the character’s most extravagant and theatrical phase, where he forms a band and goes on tour to reclaim his image after the success of Louis and Daniel Molloy’s tell-all book. Because if there’s one person in this universe who can’t stand to be misunderstood, it’s Lestat de Lioncourt.

As Reid puts it, “Lestat has always been performative. He was already a diva — now he just has lights, instruments, and a global audience.” And yes, there will be music. Lots of music. According to the actor, work with composer Daniel Hart began even before the scripts. They developed sounds, explored references, and tried to capture something that would reflect this baroque, complex, unstable, and wildly self-adoring vampire. In other words, pure Lestat.

And how do you translate into music a character who loves Mozart and could also channel David Bowie? How do you build a sonic persona that embraces the emotional intensity of someone who’s seen (and caused) centuries of chaos? The creative team’s answer was: don’t hold back. “There’s something inherently vampiric about rock,” Reid says. “Even though it’s not exactly the flavor of the month in the current music scene, there’s beauty in reaching back to old sounds and reconnecting them to Lestat’s personal journey.”

Showrunner Rolin Jones even referenced Fiona Apple as an inspiration for how an artist can translate extreme human emotion into song. But don’t worry — Reid jokes that no one’s turning Lestat into Twisted Sister. “I was just thinking about rock star clowns as a visual,” he laughs. “Lestat would hate Twisted Sister, which is unfortunate.”

But make no mistake: behind all the spectacle, the series remains faithful to the deeper emotional layers that make Anne Rice’s universe so unique. Even as Lestat sings with his chest — literally and metaphorically — wide open, he continues to wrestle with the fundamental question of his existence: what does it mean to be a vampire? How do you reconcile eternity with the need to be understood? How do you tell your story when someone else already told it first?

Reid is careful not to call Louis an “unreliable narrator.” According to him, Louis remembers things in a legitimate, if emotionally charged, way. Lestat, on the other hand, shapes his narrative more consciously. “If he’s unreliable, it’s intentional,” Reid explains. “They both distort things, but in very different ways. And that says a lot about who they are.”

Also, for anyone hoping for a page-by-page recreation of The Vampire Lestat, manage your expectations. Reid makes it clear that this season — like the first two — is an adaptation, not a transcription. “It’s a massive book,” he says. “You can’t please everyone. But you’ll find the iconic scenes — just in a slightly different context. And that’s good. It keeps everyone on their toes. Just the way Lestat likes it.”

The best news? According to Reid, we won’t have to wait until 2026 to hear Lestat’s music. “You’ll probably be hearing some music sooner rather than later,” he teases. And that cranks up the anticipation even more: is Sam Reid really going to sing? And if so… will he convince as a rock star? For now, all he’ll say is that approaching the character through music has been challenging — and revealing.

With all this, season 3 of Interview with the Vampire is shaping up to be its boldest chapter yet — and not just because of the costumes or guitars. We’re about to meet Lestat on his terms. A character who’s both victim and villain, hero and clown, maestro and emotional arsonist.

And will he sing with his heart in his throat? Absolutely. Preferably under a purple spotlight, surrounded by fog and eternal applause.