Sam Reid isn’t a rock star, but he plays one on TV. Although, anyone who attended the June 2 premiere party for “The Vampire Lestat” at New York’s Beacon Theatre could have sworn Reid was the real deal.
In full character as the show’s vampire-turned-rocker Lestat de Lioncourt, Reid performed six original songs from the series composer Daniel Hart over the course of a 30-minute concert, moving with swagger and owning the stage just like a rock star would. “It was just a tremendous showcase of why he was the right person for the job,” one attendee told Variety.
AMC’s “Interview With the Vampire” has a new title and a new story for Season 3 — because it’s now being based off “The Vampire Lestat,” the second book in Anne Rice’s vampire franchise. That’s why the cabler is treating this as if it’s an entirely new series launch — and in many ways, it is: “The Vampire Lestat,” as the series has been renamed, has a different tone and focus as the action shifts to the character’s transformation into a rock star.
“It’s some of the best promotion I’ve ever seen, and honestly necessary,” that attendee said. “The tonal shift is shocking this season. Instead of downplaying it, they threw a freakin’ rock concert and leaned in.”
