Witches, and ghosts, and vampires, oh my! AMC is solidifying itself as the go-to network for visually compelling and brilliantly written fantasy shows, and The Talamasca is ready to continue that trend.
Furthering the expansion of the Immortal Universe of Anne Rice’s novels, the network has had more success than anyone could have expected with its supernatural stories.
Unlike the current entries in the Immortal Universe, The Talamasca will be a different kind of show. Where there is a central supernatural focus for Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches, The Talamasca will explore every supernatural avenue.
The name likely won’t mean much to anyone who isn’t a fan of the Anne Rice novels. Even if you watched the Interview with the Vampire film, The Talamasca would be foreign to you.
However, if you enjoyed the Queen of The Damned with the late Aaliyah in the titular role, then you have a leg up. For everyone else, though, TV Fanatic has you covered because here is everything we know so far about The Talamasca Season 1!
When Was The Talamasca Green Lit for Season 1?
After the success of Interview with the Vampire, the big wigs at AMC saw an opportunity to grow a franchise and began adding titles to their Immortal Universe.
In April 2023, AMC announced that a third title would be coming to the budding franchise. In June 2024, The Talamasca was officially greenlit.
Dan McDermott, president of entertainment at AMC Studios for AMC Networks, said of the development, “This is a story we’ve been developing and wanting to tell from the earliest moments of this franchise, focused on a fascinating and compelling secret society that has already appeared in both of our existing Anne Rice series, The Talamasca.
As with all of these shows, we are thrilled to have such a high level of talent involved, represented here by John Lee Hancock and Mark Lafferty, and of course, working closely with producer Mark Johnson as the creative head of our Anne Rice Immortal Universe.”
It sounds like AMC doesn’t mind putting its eggs all in the Immortal Universe’s basket!
What Is The Talamasca About?
The series will feature the men and women responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, werewolves, and other creatures scattered around the globe.
Not a lot to work with there. However, if you’ve kept up with Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches, you know the series has plenty of stories to work with. At this stage in production, we can only speculate what direction The Talamasca will go in.
They might try to create a story that encompasses both Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches. Or, the show might focus on a case or monster of the week format. The only thing we know for sure is that the powers that be for The Talamasca want something different, as mirrored by the head of The Immortal Universe, Mark Johnson.
Here’s what the award-winning producer had to say:
“With the second season of Interview with the Vampire currently receiving the best reviews of any show on television and with the production of Mayfair Witches about to wrap in Ireland, promising an even more compelling and unnerving second season, the question is what do we now add to the Immortal Universe of Anne Rice?
The answer is a completely different show from the first two, but a show that nevertheless belongs under the Anne Rice umbrella. The Talamasca marries the procedural spy thriller with the supernatural and expands the thrills and the pleasures of our franchise’s ambitions.”
Again, there is not much to translate or decipher from that quote. Still, his confidence comes in loud and clear. If The Talamasca is even remotely as good as Interview with the Vampire or Mayfair Witches, AMC has another hit on its hands.
How Many Episodes Will The Talamasca Season 1 Have?
The Talamasca is slated for a six-episode season. The number is only an episode or two shy from its sister series.
As mentioned above, we can only guess the series’ format. Another great setup would be if the show adopted the same formula as Marvel’s What If…? series.
Each episode could be a stand-alone that works into a larger, over-arching story.
Who Is In The Talamasca Season 1?
At the moment, this is a pretty short list. Don’t be surprised if we throw a complete cast list to you out of nowhere. Networks are funny about how they deliver information.
One second, they’ll be giving audiences crumbs to work with. The next, you know everything down to the social security number of actors, directors, and showrunners.
Nicholas Denton (Dangerous Liaisons) has been cast as Guy Anatole, and William Fichtner (The Company You Keep) has been cast as Jasper. That’s the list for now, but with production underway, it is likely to grow soon.
However, the actual names to look for are the ones writing and executive producing the series: John Lee Hancock (Snow White and the Huntsman) and Mark Lafferty (Castle Rock).
These two cool cats are going to make all the big decisions about The Talamasca. So, no pressure or anything.
Regarding this little passion project, John Lee Hancock said, “This all started for me with a call from Mark Johnson, who asked if I’d ever heard of The Talamasca.
I was intrigued by the idea of an organization that, to me, had more than a passing resemblance to the CIA or MI6, which are necessary but not always necessarily transparent.
An organization with its own secrets. Thankfully, Dan McDermott liked the take, and so did Mark Lafferty, who is so talented and accomplished in the world of television.
Many thanks to everyone from Gran Via to Mark Lafferty, to our talented writers, and everyone at AMC who have been supporters, advocates, and cheerleaders from day one.
I couldn’t be more thrilled to be involved and look forward to presenting a third series in the Anne Rice Immortal Universe.”
Sounds like he’s even more excited than we are. That’s always a good sign! Plus, we know who to blame if it sucks. I don’t think it will, but I would like to know who all the complaints should be directed to.
Is There a Trailer for The Talamasca Season 1?
There is currently no trailer outlining the details of The Talamasca Season 1.
However, TV Fanatic has your back. Once we obtain a trailer for this super-secret organization, we will get it into the hands of TV Fanatics everywhere!
Where Can I Watch The Talamasca Season 1?
It hasn’t been confirmed whether or not The Talamasca will air on AMC or be an AMC+ show only. Either way, AMC is where you want to go to check out this supernatural series.
If The Talamasca does air on the AMC channel, episodes will be available on the app the next day.
When Is The Premiere Date For The Talamasca Season 1?
Currently, The Talamasca is expected to premiere in 2025. Principal photography will take place in Manchester during the Fall of 2024. It’s possible the series will premiere before Mayfair Witches Season 2.
It’s a wonder we have any information at all when photography hasn’t even taken place yet. Considering how the hands behind The Talamasca feel, I wouldn’t be surprised if the series premieres in the Spring or Summer seasons rather than the Fall.
Writer and executive producer Mark Lafferty instills confidence with his thoughts on the project: “When John told me about a clandestine organization in the Immortal Universe with its own hidden agendas, I was immediately hooked.
I’ve admired his writing and directing for so long, and to be working with him is a true honor and thrill.
Many thanks to Dan McDermott and all the incredibly talented people at AMC for their tireless support and talent, and to Mark Johnson — there is no better producer to learn from and work beside than him.”
At least we know it’ll make it to the airwaves next year. Thankfully, AMC has been knocking it out of the part with programming.
What Other Shows Are Premiering?
Sure, we have to wait until next year to check out this exciting series, but it’s not all bad news! AMC has a whole roster of incredible shows coming your way to keep viewers entertained in the meantime.
If you’re ready for a series where the call is coming from inside the house, check out the AMC psychological thriller based on the popular novels from Tony Hillerman, Dark Winds, returning for its third season in 2025.
The thrills and chills don’t end there. For another dose of creepiness for the spooky season, tune in to The Terror when it returns for its third season in 2025.
The network may have an unhealthy obsession with the supernatural as The Walking Dead: Dead City returns for another round of adventures with franchise favorites Maggie and Negan as they traverse the post-apocalyptic landscape.
If blood, sex, and magic are how you spend your Sunday nights, check in with the witches of Mayfair when Mayfair Witches returns for its second season in 2025.
The Talamasca has plenty of heavy-hitting names and incredible plots to draw from. We can only hope AMC continues to turn Anne Rice’s novels into a franchise that every generation can sink its fangs into.
So, buckle up for the ride of your undead life into another corner of AMC’s Immortal Universe!
What kind of format do you think the show will adopt?
Is there a character from the sister series that you want to cameo?
Drop a comment below to let us know and join us again when we tell you everything we know so far about your favorite new and returning shows!