‘Interview With the Vampire’: Santiago Stages Trial From Book in New Teaser (VIDEO)

Kelli Boyle April 19, 2024, 2:21 pm

“Guilty, or not guilty?” That is the question on Santiago’s (Ben Daniels) lips in the newest Interview With the Vampire Season 2 teaser. The video references an infamous trial scene near the end Anne Rice‘s novel of the same name, as hinted by Santiago’s judge’s wig.

In the new teaser, Santiago, the leading vampire thespian of the Théâtres des Vampires in Paris, recites the “Laws of the Vampire,” one of the most important being that no vampire can kill another. That doesn’t bode well for Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Delainey Hayles), who attempted to kill Lestat (Sam Reid) in the Season 1 finale.

The vampires of the Parisian coven knew Lestat long before he arrived in New Orleans. As revealed in the first Interview With the Vampire Season 2 trailer, Lestat is a founding member of their theater. And he’s been presumed dead by Louis and Claudia since they left New Orleans, although Louis’ refusal to burn his lover’s body makes doubt ever-present.

Santiago recites three vampire laws in the video above: “Each coven must have its leader; the dark gifts must never be given to children; no vampire may ever destroy another vampire.” Louis broke two of those laws, and Claudia broke one, in Season 1. This will seemingly put them both in danger in the new episodes, as the coven will presumably find out what they did. (In moments like these, wouldn’t it be great if vampires couldn’t read each other’s thoughts?) Despite their frequent questions, Lestat never mentioned any vampire laws to Louis and Claudia in Season 1, nor did he reveal the consequences of breaking them.

Season 2 of the hit AMC series brings the second half of Rice’s beloved novel to life, and this teaser trailer marks the first time we’ve seen characters speak during this pivotal moment from the book. There appeared to be a brief clip from this scene in the trailer released on March 19. In that extended trailer, Louis, Claudia, and a new character to the show named Madeleine (Roxane Duran) are sitting on stage looking distressed. In front of them is Santiago in the judge’s uniform seen in the teaser above, and walking through the theater is Lestat. The quick moment (see below) shows that the theater has a full audience. Armand (Assad Zaman) is nowhere to be seen.

Sam Reid, Ben Daniels, Jacob Anderson, Delainey Hayles, and Roxane Duran in 'Interview With the Vampire' Season 2

AMC

This Parisian coven will provide a whole new world of thrills and conflict in Season 2. Here’s the logline for AMC’s Interview With the Vampire Season 2:

'IWTV': What Does 'Memory Is the Monster' Mean?

“The interview continues in Season 2. In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Anderson) recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Bogosian). Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia (Hayles) conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Reid), Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia. It is in Paris that Louis first meets the Vampire Armand (Zaman). Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories.”

In addition to Daniels and Duran, new additions to the cast include Succession‘s Justin Kirk in a mystery role revealed in the March 19 trailer; Breaking Bad‘s David Costabile as Leonard, a seasoned TV personality who has a run-in with Molloy; and Bally Gill as “Real Rashid.”

Interview With the Vampire, Season 2 Premiere, Sunday, May 12, 9/8c, AMC and AMC+