What's Happening with the Anne Rice TV Show??
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- All the context you need to understand the recent casting news for AMC's Interview with the Vampire TV Series based on Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, and the discourse it's inspired.
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"game of thrones-style" and "canon-accurate" are two very interesting phrases to say one after the other...
Lol
How do you make it Games of Thrones style when it's just Lestat being a gay drama queen for five books with people telling him "DON'T DO THAT" and then he does it anyway. Like.
@@drawingsticks5333 you rename him daenerys lestat :v
SERIOUSLY
An accurate adaptation of either series would be AWFUL to watch
I always thought that Louis being a slaveowner related to what he himself called his greatest flaw. For most of the book, he is someone who is willing to sit back and either let other people do evil, or reap the benefits of others' suffering. What better way to represent that than Louis living off the forced labor of the enslaved people he inherited control of? It shows what Louis learns later, that inactivity or ignorance can cause just as many problems as being actively malicious.
I agree, his backstory was integral to who he was and his growth as a character.
@@shadowscribbler6100 agreed.
I don’t have an issue with Louis being changed…..but after reading all the books and having been a fan since 1994…it’s going to be extremely hard to rewrite my mental image of the original Louis (a pale skinned brunette with gold eyes) my brain is going to keep screaming at me…” that is not Louis” just like it did in the queen of the damned film when my brain kept screaming “that ain’t Lestat”
That’s how I always read it. He spends the best part of IwtV denying that he had any evil in him, but the fact that he was a slaveowner was proof that he was evil all along.
idk i feel like the change hasnt effected that part of his character all that muh, hes still benefiting from the work of others hes literally a pimp. just my opinion tho obviously
I met her in 1997 on the New Orleans Anne Rice, tour. She didn’t normally interact with the tour, according to the guide….but we were high school students on a literary themed field trip and she just felt like meeting with some of her younger fans that were students. She spent about an hour talking to us and signed some books that day, took questions and told us about her life. I remember her answering a few questions about who her favorite characters were in her stories and her personal favorite books etc.,. Her fascination and attraction with vampires wasn’t their immortality or beauty….but rather that her idea of a perfect romance was a genuine love that lasts forever and isn’t influenced by mere lust, but is actually driven 100% by true love. Vampires lack the biological sex drive and lust of normal men, so when a vampire wanted or loved a person (and didn’t kill them) it wasn’t to satisfy his sexual desires or lust but rather because the vampire fell in love with the persons soul rather than lusting over their body. A vampire that loves someone must overcome their base desire for their blood (an allegory for using someone for their body and physical desires) also unlike a Mortal man, a vampire actually has the potential to love the person for eternity if the vampire turns their love into another vampire. At that time her favorite book was “Cry to Heaven”, and the character of hers that she was in love with was originality Louis, but halfway through “The vampire Lestat” she fell in love with Lestat and from that point on she retconned his personality in future works away from the monster he was in “Interview”, and the character most like herself was Rowan Mayfair. And speaking of the Mayfair witches, that’s the other Anne rice series we are supposed to get in 2022.
Wow thank you so much for sharing this story!!
@@MavenoftheEventide I was broken hearted when she died last December ☹️
Wow, this is so beautiful
Sounds to me like they are aiming more for a "True Blood" vibe, and less like Vampire Chronicles. Here's hoping I'm wrong :)
I am ready for a new, good vampire show!
That's what I was thinking. We all know how shows and movies get greenlit because they're pitched as "The next ____"
Yeah I agree with you I hope it’s good
I mean the Anne Rice vampires don't fuck so at least there's that. Unless they make them
but it will NOT be Interview with a Vampire.. it will be some Hollywoodesque pile of poo. I mean I could accept this new storyline and characters IF they were not pretending it was Interview with a vampire. THEY COULD have just said "Hey, we are telling the story of ANOTHER Vampire from her world.. and this is HIS story". but not Louis's . YOU COULD EVEN possibly (I can't remember all of what Lestat was actually doing in the early 1900s but I do know he went to ground in 1929). they could have completely just written a new chapter. even had Lestat.. but I hate that they said this black brothel owner was Louis.. no. he isn't.
Remember how Anne LOATHED fan-fiction? I cannot imagine how she really feels about all these story changes...
Well her most recent books read like fan fiction so I'm guessing her stance has softened on that.
Exactly what I was thinking. I was so devastated as a kid when all the Vampire Chronicles fanfiction got purged, and this kinda feels like karma.
I’d still rather see the actual source material adapted, but maybe this’ll be okay?
@@markboon2024 Totally agree!
Haha, karma indeed
Oh my god I remember her suing people over fan fiction jesus christ that was brutal
The reason they picked the 1910s in New Orleans is because that’s when Storyville and its brothels were at their most volatile. The district was shut down in 1917. I’m guessing they’ll lean into the jazz scene a lot, too. This is precarious. That history is precious to the city. Get it wrong and we’ll tear the show apart.
Her vampires were set in the 18th Century for a reason.. ANNE RICES Vampire timeline is significant. whatever.
The reason it is set in the 1910s is so they could have a black Louis. A black slave owner in the 18th century would be a bit difficult. Skip the show read the books.
This show would sound OK if just an ORIGINAL show, it sounds like they got rid of 90% of the Lore from the books and Are doing some generic vampire Nonsense. This is Saddening. And as A Black Man myself i dont want a Black Pimp Louie that changes SO much CANNON
It's very irritating how they keep putting black people into certain roles all the time. Just cast black people as people, not caricatures.
My feelings exactly.
Bro, of ALL CHARACTERS!
@@AppleLatte it feels like if they HAD to change a character to a black guy, Daniel would have made more sense
@@travissmith6380 Daniel would actually work, and work well, as a black man. But Louie?! Wtaf?!
I was not aware of these casting calls; as soon as you said brothel owner, I knew the production team was looking for an excuse to add bewbs. This makes me sad. I would have no problem with more diversity in an adaptation of The Vampire Chronicles. That said, it does not sound like we are getting an adaptation of any of the stories from The Vampire Chronicles. These descriptions scream of a network wanting to capitalize on an exisiting property when they have no appreciation for what its fans love about it, or a desire to bring that to the screen.
The time period and locations of The Interview With The Vampire leaves a decent amount of room for more representation in the cast while still keeping the main story the same. Louis could be a favoured illegitimate child of a plantation owner, or Claudia could have been Creole making their family all the more "other" for the time period. It would have been different, but it still would have been the setting/story we know and appreciate.
Bringing us into the 20th century alone tells me we are not getting the same story and at best, we'll get characters with familiar names and the occasional glimpse of what could have been had the show actually been an adaptation of any of Anne Rice's works. The Jonathan Rhys Meyers Dracula comes to mind. The only things about that show that had anything in common with the source material were character names and vampires. That series was cancelled after one disappointing season that ended in a cliffhanger.
“Excuse.” Riiiggghhhtttt. Sure. Next.
Very much agreed. I think there are lots of ways they could have added diversity without changing the story itself so much. Jacob Anderson is an excellent actor and I was cautiously optimistic about how they'd rewrite the character to fit his casting. I think something like what you suggested, him being the illegitimate son of a plantation owner, would have made perfect sense. "20th century brothel owner" on the other hand is just completely divorced from Louis' canon character.
@@Luanna801 Exactly! Not to mention a brothel owner wouldn't have had the wealth and resources that were part of what made Lestat choose Louis in the first place. What are we going to see instead of a calculated move to get himself and his dying father into a secure position? I'd bet money it'll be topless feeding frenzies because vampires + bewbs y'll. Insert eyeroll here.
Definitely agree with you on Louis and Claudia being solid candidates for race-changing in the original source material. I've done academic research on Louisiana Creole and one of the big things you run into is that there weren't exactly tons of white women in French Louisiana for a LONG time. So, it really wasn't that uncommon for a landowner to take up with a black woman (preferably a free woman of color, but slave women happened, too), have an entire nuclear family with her, then leave the family with a parting gift of land and resources when he or his relatives had managed to source a white wife for him. Frequently, the creole children were acknowledged AND were left inheritances by their fathers. There were even a couple cases where the Creole children wound up being the sole heirs, so Louis' situation wouldn't be totally out of the question. Similarly, Claudia being a Creole child in New Orleans where there was a flourishing Creole class for DECADES would be an obvious option. It's SERIOUSLY frustrating that they decided to take the, as Maven put it, AU fanfiction route so that they could add sex and gore because they think that's what sells. (I will also admit that as a linguist who specializes in Louisana and Mississippi dialects of French, I am salty that the time period and location pretty much puts an end to my dream of getting ANY sort of main stream use of Louisiana Creole. I mean, sure, I never thought it would go further than a phrase or two sprinkled in for flavor, but I CAN DREAM, damn it!)
I see some people say that race or gender changing characters isn’t a big deal but it is. Because society and individuals reactions to a person can greatly depend on their race and gender. If a character called Louis the N word is the original it would make no sense. In this one it would have a different meaning, and a different reaction. It changes everything.
I also really hope they can focus on the ace spectrum/biromantic aspects of their emotional connections. Since vamps don’t have sex they could make that a deep talk based on everyone’s connection. Especially when they get to QotD further along in the series when it happens
I find it very unlikely that they will keep the whole no-sex stuff in the show.
@@Carabas72 Me too, but as someone who is Aro/Ace myself I would love to see something of it on screen. I am tired of Aces being effectively emotionless robots
@@TheLastSane1 Much agreed with that.
As I was watching the video, I started wondering if this was one of the points that Anne and Christopher wouldn't budge on that made them keep dropping the show.
@@elvieann4949 I mean I could see that being an issue. Its very Homoromantic or Biromantic but they know sex sells and they want to use sex to diminish those non-straight relationships.
Was I the only one to notice they took out the fact that Danny in GoT was bisexual? She has sex with women in the books but never hints at her being anything but straight in the show. Because Hollywood loves to say they are pro-LGBTQ+ but when given the option they seem to always push the community to the shadows.
I can't decide if this sounds more like it wants to be Vampire Diaries or True Blood.
I doubt it's going to be Vampire Chronicles in any way shape or form.
The vampire diaries even has a spin off with witches and vampires in New Orléans
EXACTLY!!!!! Those have already been done.. Gods No one in Hollywood has any courage anymore.. They just regurgitate the same stuff over and over and over again. and pander and do stupid thing. It probably is all about the $$$$ folks wet their pants and are scared somehow to do the right thing, thus they get it wrong over and overa gain. .Folks are noticing and it is getting BORING and IRRITATING!!
I reaally hope they don't commercialize this into a bland story that statistically proves to make the most money. Give us the meaningful nuance! Give us the gay! And for the love of all that is unholy GIVE US THE ACE!
As The Grand Archpriest of The Church of the Algorithm, I bless this video with a comment.
Gotta love the irony of Hollywood picking stories for their popularity and 'built-in audience' and then changing the much-loved characters and story in order to fit the current climate of that particular year and then wonder why it doesn't do very well. Will they ever learn? Nope, they are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
Not to mention how often they attack the fans the act surprised when those same fans stop supporting them. *sighs*
This has nothing to do with The Vampire Chronicles. They shouldn’t even be allowed to use the name. It’s false advertising.
Like she said Anne team is in charge of it and people like this love to muck thing off
I'm an author myself, and while I can appreciate that changes need to be made between mediums, I DESPISE when I see some of the changes that Hollywood likes to do. My two favorite adaptations of a big franchise is Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, and seeing some of the behind the scenes of those, it's only when you had big advocates for source material that you get a good adaptation. It's one of the reasons why we're getting good comic book movies these days. The people behind the camera are fans, and so they have respect for what they are adapting. You need fans in these roles, not random Hollywood people who go 'HEY, WHAT IF WE DID THIS!" while sitting in the writing room.
@@hakasims I merely mean that they captured the heart of their material, not take a popular title and try to make their own story.
@@hakasims No, they didn't. They are actually pretty good adaptations. Sure, there are some tings that could be done much better (almost everything regarding the character of Ronald Weasly), but they are pretty good adaptation of the books. And no, they didn't butcher the story at all.
I don't really care about the race changing, but as a rule I dislike when new adaptations take the route of "now we tell the REAL story".
That always feels disrespectful to the source material to me, kinda like saying "nah, the original wasn't good enough because it was a lie". Just my personal point of view, it's a thing in adaptive media that rubs me the wrong way.
I think so too, I believe they will turn the series into a fanfic
It doesn't sound like Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, even if it's a good show, it just too different.
:(
R.I.P
She will be missed. I wish she would get to see this show.
So, I saw the movie interview with a vampire and thought it was great. I tried to read the books back then but I got sidetracked. They were very very gay. Now I’m pushing 60 I’m an African-American guy who decided to read the books during lockdown. I read the first four. And because like everybody else I’m constantly sitting in front of a screen I decided to get a synopsis of some of the other books and I came upon your channel about a month or two ago. I think this is a terrible idea. The reason why the marvel comics translated so well into the Disney films is because they didn’t really change the personalities of the characters. They did race swap Nick fury who was a white World War II vet in the comics but his personality was exactly the same. The actor who was on Game of Thrones playing the character gray worm certainly is good looking enough and professional enough to play the character. However it’s changing too much from the book. I’m afraid we’re going to get another queen of the damned and this will be the final nail in the coffin on any of the vampire Chronicles making it to film ever again. The problem with Hollywood types is they think they’re smarter and more creative than the writers. Whatever dynamic that Louis and Lestat have with one another is going to be extremely different because of the change of race and the change of time. This has nothing to do with racism it has to do with the arrogance of Hollywood thinking that they could tell a better story than Anne Rice. A black pimp?! Who decided that would be a good idea? The fans are not racist for wanting Louis to remain the same as he is in the books. I’m offended that Hollywood decided to race swap a great character and replace him with a 1970s Blackplotaion stereotype?
The Nick Fury casting was almost certain though since the mcu version is based on the Ultimate version whose based on Sam Jackson and it's one of the few instances of race swapping I'm ok with since as mentioned he was based on a real person.
@@BradLad56 Yeah I’m familiar with the story. They’re pretty lucky because Sam Jackson will never turn down a role. Also Fury is just a supporting character who peaked in the 1960s comics as a James Bond knockoff. .
Can I just say it always makes me happy to see how diverse the Vampire Chronicles readership is. The books really do appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds, so why wouldn’t a faithful adaptation be just as appealing?
That being said, I really liked the idea that if anyone were to be race swapped it could have been Daniel and I don’t think anyone would have had a problem with that. Also, as the series progresses and we meet more of the characters there already is a lot of built-in diversity. Like, A LOT more than you find in most franchises.
My theory is that the producers felt a need to make one of the lead characters non-white - completely ignoring the fact that Louis is not really a lead throughout the whole series, as he plays a very small role in most of the books except for the first two.
They should have just had Daniel interview another vampire.
I agree.
All of this sounds like an interesting story...so why bother buying the Vampire Chronicles rights and why not make a completely original story? (which I mean, they pretty much did) Oh yeah, they needed some big name attached for a promo.....but who are they making these for really? Not the existing fans for sure.
Btw. how did Daniel get the interview wrong when he was literally recording it?
Because now, they can put the "Vampire Chronicles" label on it, eliminating the possibility of a competing show plus, people are attracted to labels due to the emotional connections we have with them. It's an one-two punch.
I'll NEVER understand it. Why pick up ANY fan loved franchise and shit on the lore? (As well as insult the fans) If they're so hard set to change *everything* why risk the failure and just make something new???
God I PRAY for something NEW!!
Same thing they did with The Watch :/
@@drawingsticks5333 it's seems they're going to do that with Netflix Resident Evil live action show.
YES Why did they even BOTHER buying the rights only to change the damn story!!!?? ithey did another hatchet job to a YA story called BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE.. that was a disaster!!! just pandering
My first thought at making the black Louis a pimp was cringe 😬 Will they be focusing mainly on Louis before he was turned? I just hope they don’t make another Vampire Diaries or Originals. Anne Rice is better than that. I will be watching nonetheless with my fingers crossed 🤞…
Hmm, I don't mind changing the race or color, or even gender of the characters, vampires kinda transcend these labels, though I understand how fans would get annoyed by changes to their favorite characters.
My concern is that they might change too much, to the point it's not really the same story with the same characters - which would be fine, but they market it as an "adaptation" of the basic story, which again might put off the fans who expect a relatively "faithful" adaptation.
At that point, why not make an entirely new show?
If they want the publicity of the Anne Rice name, they can just use the same setting, just with new story and characters.
I'm also concerned that they will make a bad show, and then blame the poor ratings on the viewers being bigoted.
"Nooo, it's not that our show/movie is bad, it's the viewers who are racist/sexist/homophobic etc.".
Conveniently ignoring other films/shows with people of color/mainly female cast/LGBT+ characters etc., which manage to be successful, despite the "bigoted viewers".
Absolutely agree
Well, there's some confusion in the novels. It's been a while since I reread them, but if I remember correctly, Anne Rice does describe Louis as "creole." Which would make Jacob Anderson a great choice. But she also describes Louis as white. And she does this with other characters, too. I think we might have to accept the fact that despite being a Louisiana native, Anne Rice might not know what "creole" means. She often uses the term correctly, referring to people of mixed French/Native American/African/Hispanic heritage. But sometimes, she seems to use the word to refer to anyone of French descent ( NOT what "Creole" means).
The only problem I could see is how they explain a dark skinned Creole man being an antebellum plantation owner. Other than that, given the ambiguity of the source material, I say go for it. Jacob Anderson is a good actor, and he definitely looks like he could pass for Creole.
EDIT: Just got further into the video. It turns out Louis might not be a plantation owner from 1791, but a brothel owner from 1910? That's...odd. Maybe they felt like they didn't want to "deal with" slavery as an issue. Which is pretty cowardly. Serious drama isn't afraid of dark issues. Which makes me worry this will be entertainment, rather than serious drama.
@@Revelwoodie I guess that Louis could have been the son of a white - or perhaps even mixed - plantation owner with a free woman of mixed heritage, which was certainly a historic possibility.
That said, from wikipedia:
"The term Créole was originally used by French settlers to distinguish people born in Louisiana from those born elsewhere, thus drawing a distinction between Europeans (such as the French and Spanish) and Africans born in the Old World from their Creole descendants native to the New World. The word is not a racial label, and people of fully European descent, fully African descent, or of any mixture therein (including Native American admixture) may be Creole.
People of any race can and have identified as Creoles, and it is a misconception that créolité-the quality of being Creole-implies mixed racial origins."
So she appears to be using "creole" correctly - perhaps not in its present meaning, but in the one it would have had back in the day.
But out off all the characters they easily could've made black they choose the slave owner.....
@@Revelwoodie creole people come in all shades so what Louis would've looked like wouldn't have mattered if it wasn't for the fact that he's a slave owner tbh.
But if they change him to be a brothel owner (it would be odd to just erase his "actually past" completely)
Great, more filmmakers who want to plaster an established story's title over their own vaguely-related work.
This sounds like a cool series, but it doesn't sound like the Chronicles.
Yea I feel bad cause I sort of want to watch a dramatically charged sexual awakening of an awful man by meeting an even worse hot man.
@@lissaquon607 It sounds amazing! The idea that the canon story is a result of Daniel being high af, tripping balls, is kinda funny, I'll admit. It's a bit odd to be simultaneously looking forward to and deeply disappointed in an 'Adaptation- In Name Only'.
Here's my little conspiracy theory, just to stir up the pot. What is Mave is right, and the Rices have been completely cut out of the process? And, what if the leak of the two casting calls were done by the Rices in order to stir the fandom up against the show from the get-go? What if they think that riling up the fandom to a loud frenzy will force AMC to reinstate them in control, and force a re-set of the changes?
I don't personally believe this but, hey, stranger things have happened.
Then they'd be breaking NDA risking the entire show in the process and likely to get sued.
18th century is my favorite fashion/aesthetic era so the change is a huge bummer
“Hair color is such a white person thing to care about”
All of anime would like a word with you…
I mean maybe but at least there people understand blue hair is just a thing in those worlds or pink hair or whatever. But yeah to many fans (almost all being white) throw fits if their fave character does not have their book accurate hair color.
Coloring matters from an aesthetic standpoint. It effects how we envision these characters and events in our minds and I'd prefer, as both a writer and a reader, that they stick more closely to the source material. Queen of the Damned also irked me for this reason; it's nothing to do with race specifically.
@@shadowscribbler6100 the thing is with very minor changes they could make Louis mixed race and still keep the plantation. I think they want to remove themselves from that situation involving slaves but jumping ahead more than a hundred years changes everything about Louis.
Hair colour, skin colour, eye colour.
All of these things bother me because I'm an overthinker, I've watched a lot of movies/tv shows (both animated and live action) where these things are relevant and important but it's not because I'm white.
I'm actually mixed (most of my family is tan - black).
It bothers me because it doesn't seem as important to the people who are trying to pump out blockbusters.
"Obvious anglo host, is obvious."
It sounds like it would basically be a TV series of the Queen of the Damned, as in the story's watered down and trying too hard to be hip and sexy. A black actor playing Louis isn't a problem, all this stuff about Daniel staying mortal and getting it wrong and having to do a do-over is where they lose me. Louis doesn't seem the type to even be interested in someone who's such a fuck-up that he messes up even the most basic parts of Louis's story.
I just want them to make a proper adaptation of the source material. I don't want any changes whatsoever. But these news are frightening...the disrespect towards the source material is just too much...if this is true they should be ashamed.
Hard agree. As a writer, I'd be so pissed off if a studio came along and changed everything about my book but the name.
Yeah. What was really their goal or trying to prove to not follow the source material faithfully? Why is it so difficult to go away from "diversity" for a while? Cant we just have a decent adaptation that the majority of fans enjoy watching?
Between this, pratchetts 'the watch' , and the witcher (s2 specifically), makes me semi happy pullmans his dark materials was almost acceptable and happy I was around for the Lord of the rings movies.
It's gonna be another queen of the damned, 🤷 well, life goes on with us never having a book-accurate adaptation, things remain the same even as they change.
Let's hope it's a good series, with smart dialogs and believable plots, but I'm not holding my immortal breath lol, in all probability it's gonna suck ass not blood, and not even in the good way 😆😆
Without the good soundtrack...
What you said about the "vampires are monsters that's just how it is." really struck a chord with me. My boyfriend doesn't get how I can love the vampire characters in one of my favourite book series since the dude is literally a professional killer who kills a lot and is pretty merciless. I never found a way to explain it to my partner. Now I do "he is a monster we know that from the get go."
(now that I think about it while writing this comment, it is pretty hypocritical of my partner to criticise my love for a murdering vampire seeing as he loves John Wick... )
I don’t mind the change for Louis, I first thought of changing Louis’ race would have him be a mixed race child of a plantation owner who had a white brother; so changing the cannon slightly. If any character would be made mixed race, I thought it would be Claudia. It would make sense that instead of a young, white girl she would be a young black/mixed race girl. “Oncle” Verven could just be a title, not necessarily his uncle but an uncle to all. I want to reserve judgement until I see the series. I wish that Bryan Fuller was still attached because I think he would have nailed the show when it was written by Anne and Christopher. I also just love Bryan Fuller and want him to work on a new project.
I. So glad fuller is gone. He’s a blight.
right? it's such a shame bryan fuller isn't part of the project. I think the dark aesthetics and queerness of the source material would've been a perfect fit.
Yea still sad we lost Fuller- he apparently was a fan of the series for ages. But alas we can't have nice things.
I 100% assume (and it is an assumption, no facts to back it) that he dropped because he didn’t have more control over the show. He tends to have very weird ideas that he just makes WORK, and when the studio starts pushing in and demanding changes to his vision that he doesn’t like -cough American Gods cough- he’s more than willing to walk. No doubt he knows that Rice wanted similar control over her works, and anticipated that compromises just wouldn’t happen amicably.
@@endel12 very true, I think it he is very cognizant of what changes need to be made/what will work well and what can’t be changed/needs to stay in. I think he is most known for how dark and queer he can go with his series but he has a great sense of humor. The montage in IwtV where Lestat and Louis are getting dresses made for Claudia and teaching her how to feed is something that Bryan would have killed!!! Anne wrote the script for the movie (I think, correct me if I’m wrong) and as dark as it is, it’s also quite funny.
Wait, they decided to make Louis into a pimp? That’s a yikes especially because they made him Black.
Like, do these writers think before they write or do they think they can get away with that stereotype in 2021?
I don’t care about the race change, I just want a good show
I KNOW LOL. I mean if they were trying to pander by bringing more POC' actors into movies etc.. they really missteped. I mean.... fine.. but just stick with the original character!!!! and be done with it!. It isn't racist to show Louis for what he was. ONLY fols who have not read the books wouldn't understand so screw them!
@@caelidhg6261 If you're going to change anyone's race Lestat makes more sense with his backstory of being poor and life trying to destroy him in any way it can. Just tweak a few things and no one would care
I'm sorry, but I don't think that painting people that has objections about a black actor playing a character that was originally a white slave owner as "racists karens" is fair at all.
And I have no idea of how making him a pimp 100 years older fix anything. I think it makes it a bit worse. I completely agree that one of the Vampire Chronicles biggest flaws is the lack of black people especially considering the time and place. But, again, they could add diversity in the show in other ways, Claudia could be a black little girl and nothing would change in the story.
Maybe Lestat was of mixed race, Gabrielle could have had an affair with a Muslin Spanish man idk, it would make sense considering the mistreatment she suffered from his father and older siblings.
But there is no way of bending reality enough to justify this whole Louis mess.
Also, pimps are still slave owners.
I have already seen people using this series that isn't even out yet to spread that disgusting dog whistle that "blacks had slaves too" and things will only get worse.
It breaks my heart because Interview with the Vampire is my favourite book, I've read it so many times, but I hope that if this show sees the light of day twitter will tear it down for said messes.
Thank you! Yes to all of this. A black Claudia would have been awesome, since she's a kid nothing had to change about the character, her arc could remain the same
@ It could be problematic with how she moves in the world.
Wouldn't be shocked if the time period change is because the studio doesn't want to go near slavery.
Edit.
Actually the "more bewbs" theory is probably true.
Given how she acted when Tom Cruise was cast, it's an easy assumption that actors and studios would be wary of working with her. I hope that it could be made, just as I hoped the sequel that was set up in the movie "Interview with the Vampire" would come to pass. Clearly the final scene in the convertible set up a sequel. Rumors suggested that the studio and actors didn't want anything to do with it after she tried to sabotage the production. Multiple studios have had rights, it's an incredibly popular book series with a built in fandom, and it never gets made? The common theme is that Anne is a talented but controlling pain in the ass who can't share creative control. I hope it will be made, but the best possible creative people who could have been involved have repeatedly bailed. (edit, have to add it is remarkable how ridiculous the version of Daniel's retelling would be...this is what happens when the competent people want nothing to do with it)
The "casting call" for Louis sounds like the lead from Bridgerton.
The cynic in me thinks that the productions studios are just doing the whole "colourblind cast historical fantasy" thing because Bridgerton and Shadow&Bone were so successful and they want a piece of the profits. Would also explain the whole backstory change to add the opportunity for sexy brothel scenes *eyeroll*.
RIP Anne Rice ...we send you off with our love ....always in our hearts....her real name was Howard Allen Francis O'Brian Rice
Making Louis a mixed race plantation owner......and then watching hordes of racists fall in love with him for the 'black people owned slaves too. That means slavery wasn't bad.' The show wouldn't have survived a single season.
Plantations were very similar to concentration camps. 'Problematic' doesn't even begin to cover OG Louis. As he a vampire, he's actually much less evil. The story doesn't really work anymore. The book should've been a series of Lestat 'mentioning' all the heinous shit Louis did to shut him up. "Oh, you hate me because I just ate someone? How about when you were torturing human beings on a daily basis, hmm?' The vampires later discovery that they can just kill evil or depressed people makes him look like an even bigger jackass.
But as a pimp, that's something Louis can more easily delude himself to. He wasn't a bad guy, right? Sure, he treated otherwise impoverished women like property. But he was just a black man trying to make his way in life. Heck, he was a job creator!
I just want to see accurate portrayals of the characters I've come to love, it doesn't matter who they cast, female/male, black/white, so long as they've got the feel of who they're playing.
Just found your channel first read Interview when I was in college 30 years ago been a fan ever since.
I can't believe she passed away!!! I love her so much, she is such a legend!!!
I feel the same. It's a shame, too, that she didn't live to see her dream of an epic TV series realized. I just hope that AMC honors her legacy and can do a halfway decent job without butchering The Vampire Chronicles.
everyone dies
But why is Anne and Christopher refusing to share anything AMC post regarding the show? That doesn't make sense. Anne has her own team yet they don't post anything regarding the show on her behalf. Yet they share a lot of other things! I do not think they have anything to do with the show. They're executive producers in name only.
By race swapping Louis & changing the historical setting, they’ve missed a huuuuge narrative opportunity. They want diversity? Well, you can still have that while still appeasing the fan base.
Why not make “the boy” black!? Give the suspicious slaves names, their own subplots & character arcs!
Nod to the INNUMERABLE African vampire myths! Use that to hint towards the existence of Akasha!
Wooooorld buuuuuiiiiilllld 🙄....sigh....I’m still not gonna get my 80s Lestat Rock Star, am I?
He’s gonna be a SoundCloud Rapper, isn’t he?
Thanks for the image of Lestat SoundCloud rapper.
Althought if they wanna be accurate and having Lestat as a superstar that could change the world, Lestat should join BTS.
I said what I said.
@@drawingsticks5333 Thank you both for those images! Lestat in a kpop group would be hilarious.
Ugghhh, this is such a great idea
"Calm thy tits; your ship can still sail"
I require a tshirt with this phrase please, or a fancy embroidered corset
Me, veteran of the Canon wars:
Welcome to the trenches.
I'm looking forward to this series. And if it disappoints, then I always have the books. You did a great job dissecting the controversy, Maven!
I'm ABSOLUTELY against randomly changing the race of a character. Because there is absolutely no reason to do it, as far as the story is concerned. If they're thinking about diversity at this stage, then they really can't be trusted with the story. JUST. TELL. THE. STORY. If the story is not "diverse" enough, go tell a different one
Amen 🙏
Also. How is "Black Louis" LESS racist? They made him black then a PIMP. INSTEAD of an entrepreneur, noble, etc. Nah. A pimp with prostitutes like "Brick Top".........
Just say you're racist and shut up
Ok but there’s no reason not to do it.
@@jeraldisme lmao. Ok boy
Just as a little point here: creolle descendance is just another way to say "mixed" which is a rather B-R-O-A-D term to describe people. Miguel Hidalgo, a key character of Mexico's independence was creolle and he passed as a white spaniard. Being described as creolle can be pretty broad but your point of how Louis' white privilege was an important part of his personality and the starting plot is much more accurate to describe why the racial pandering was a very doubtful move.
In my own family (100% Puerto Rican), I have family whiter than Maven, Blacker than night, and as Coppery as pennies. Just in my immediate family. I just don't get the "desperate" need everyone these days has to gender and race swap everyone. =/
Rest in Peace, our Queen of the Damned
Yeah ..it annoys me that Louis isnt like hevis in the book. I just wanted to books brought to life, not changed. To me its like the movie "queen of the damned ", where only armond resembled the characters in the book. If you want a character of a different race than the characters in the books, then create a new character. Its sad, and yeah...a deal breaker for me. At least i have the books.
Al igual que a ti me molesta lo que están haciendo
Espere tanto tiempo para que al final lo arruinen 😑
I really hope that the cast is actually accurate to the ethnicities in each geographic areas. I think that the backstory of Louis could stay the same in Creole Louisiana because caste still allowed half white people to own property. So they could still own slaves and buildings, it just wasn’t easy.
Thinking of the books describing his blue eyes.
@@libertycowboy2495 enh...genetics can do some wonders - especially if he has more generations of white genes to pull from.
Liberty- except Louis very clearly is described as having green eyes...
Lestat is the one with blue eyes.
The new story sounds interesting actually, but why bother buying the right to the Vampir Chronicles? It is different enough just to call it its own story. They could have avoided pissing off the whole fandom.
60 to 70 years old and slight. I can think of one actor who would be perfect. Doug Jones.
Literally! He’s not doing much with Star Trek Discovery this next season so they need to hire him!
@@JL0ndon Nobody is doing much with Star Trek Discovery.
LOL coming back to this comment i just realized how Doug jones was a great vampire as the Baron in what we do in the shadows 😂
Im so upset that CZcamss algoritm has burried your notifications even tho im subscribed. But now its time to BINGE some vampire content!
Why did they have to make him a pimp? He couldnt have been a business person of any other profession? It just feels so wrong to specifically cast a black man and say, "Lets make him a pimp!" Also 1910? *cringes back into my coffin
I feel this show is gonna flop. Maybe get up to season two at most but the fans have already turned on the show cause of the changes they are making. It would have to be an incredible show for it to properly thrive beyond the initial fanbase. Starting with Interview with The Vampire is a mistake as that's the story everyone is familiar with and the least exciting. The best would have been to come at it from the canon order of Lestat's perspective.
Then showrunners or writers might blame the fans for being bigot or phobic something if they gave some constructive criticism.
I agree
i mean, I know that there was major controversy over Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise and Anne's hysteria over the casting but while I Haven't seen that in years ( need to).. at least they were mostly true to the story...
comments that didn’t age well.
Quick thing: I don't mind that they cast a person of colour for Louis but I am a bit wary about the whole brothel angle. Now about the show being turned into an AU... Oh, you sweet, sweet karma. You get everyone sooner or later.
I don’t like that they call her demanding for knowing cutting so much out of the plot would make holes in the story. Of course when she wants detail it’s considered demanding. The industry is messy for that.
Your narrations got my heart racing. I’m still in process of watching this. I’m really hoping the VC works out and that the casting is phenomenal.
Editors can be HEAVY HANDED. I got a book published a few years ago, and my editor took it upon herself to cut about 7000 words from the text. What was worst, the thing she took out most was world building. I got complaints that my book was very bland and hard to follow, but when whole paragraphs describing an environment are taken out, it leads to those problems. Worst experience of my life.
Yea the "edits" on this are a fucking disaster. But from my understanding of Anne Rice in the past she wasnt fighting for the basic shape of the story she was fighting for everything from the color of the nails in the floorboards. Which is maddening for a film or TV production.
And lets not forget how frequently a woman being as demanding a any other man is considered "too much", "too angry" and "hysterical", because she's not "being nice"
@@NankitaBR exactly. I just want the industry to just admit they are sexist and collapse so the real stories with plot can thrive. I’m waiting on Claudias Poltergeist scene to be done right this time Around. Somebody please let me handle Jessie’s plot with care when we get there 🥺
I haven’t finished watching the whole video yet but it’s honestly giving me palpitations. We’ve been waiting for this for so long and have been so excited and I’m so scared of being disappointed.
I just want to say that as a mixed race person of color I find the casting choice for Louis not just disappointing but down right offensive I'm all for diversity when it's organic and makes sense however this feels like pandering and makes even less sense because there are plenty of characters of color in the universe that we know next to nothing about diversity for diversity sake is just stupid it's not just about checking boxes to be clear I wouldn't be opposed to changes if they benefited the story and served to elevate the material but I'm not convinced
If Anne was alive this series would not be aloud to do this. They arent making this series for already established Vampire chronicles fans. Its a joyless cash grab.
They should have stuck with the Wolf Killer idea. I agree with the commenter who said this comes across as an original series rather than what this is. It's fine to race bend Louis depending on HOW they do it, but I don't think it will be done in a respectful matter. Considering also how Lestat is supposed to be more sinister - which isn't how Lestat is. - but he is horrible in the first book like you said. Then there are the rumors you're talking about Claudia and how they are changing how queerness is representative.
I do agree Anne Rice is too controlling and there do need to be changes, but I'm unsure about the series as it is. I'm very concerned.
What rumors about claudia I have rewatched this twice and I know she mentions her but I didn't hear any thing more than that. Though I have a feeling she will definitely be aged up, probably older than even Dunst was if they are going all sex and gore. And especially with her fascination with Louis and her sleeping with him (in his coffin I know there is no sex) in her undies. I have a feeling she will be changed to a mixed or black actress as well to make it less of an issue and make Lestat look even worse him preying on young black girls and using them to torment Louis
I agree. I'm still sad that didn't happen :(
6:04 - I applaud you for including this detail. Indeed, Lestat was turned by Magnus in October (or possibly early November) of 1779 and NOT early 1780 like some official publications and fans insist it is. But that throws Lestat's official mortal birth year into doubt as he couldn't have been born in 1760, but in 1758.
I'd love to have a conversation with Lady Anne about this.
I will wait until the show comes out to either praise or tear it apart, but from the looks of it now it doesn’t look good. Why is it so hard to just stick with the books that the fans love? They’re bestsellers because of the fans. I’m ok with Jacob Anderson, he’s beautiful and a great actor, I’m not ok with completely changing the story to appeal to a modern audience which alienates the fans who put these stories on the map in the first place. I will try to keep an open mind, but this sucks, and I really want to hear from Anne on this.
I don't care what race Louis is, I'm upset about what they're doing with Daniel's character, he's my favorite and I just want to be able to watch him be a complete mess and hang out with Armand on film since we didn't get that in the Queen of the Damned movie. At this point, I can only hope for some 80's flashbacks which I hope they do.
I will say putting it in the 1910s instead gives us the chance for the Mayfairs, like Julien and Stella, to show up sooner in the series which could be interesting.
I can't say I'm surprised by the treatment Daniel character got if I'm being completly honest... And I fear we won't see much of him or his relationship with Armand sadly. Like, I can't see a way Daniel would've gotten away sane and alive with how bad things were in the books. And that was the primary appeal of their relationship imho. But I can be wrong.
@@maddalenadolce7346 I mean you're right... even Anne Rice herself kind of forgot about him, but that doesn't change the fact I'm still upset lol
OMG HE'S MY FAVE TOOO
I love him so much and I'm so scared for what they're going to do with his character
I think this series will last a maximum of 2 seasons, I feel the flop
I gotta wonder, should they just recast Lestat as a PoC too? I mean they changed Louis background, personality, character traits so why not do the same for Lestat. I mean we all agree this is not The Interview with the Vampire its just a AU Fanfic so why not go whole hog and change Lestat too?
Pues el actor que lestat no es muy joven y para mi ya empezaron mal con lestat
A black or mixed race Louie can still be a slave owner from 1791. That was a thing, at least it was in Hati and that probably holds true as well for French Louisiana.
I hate when studios buy the rights to a book and make significant changes which don't improve the story (talking about the setting and tone).
Fans having issues with the moral compass of the character and story is bizarre to me. Have you guys even read these books? Lestat rapes a woman, Louis has a romantic relationship with Claudia when she has the body of a child, Marius has sexual interactions with Armand multiple times before turning him into a vampire, Armand tortures and traumatizes Daniel, and they murder endlessly throughout the books and deal with heavy themes that never go black and white in morality.
Totalmente de acuerdo
Imagínate si adaptarán la historia de Armand
They are heavy themes but the books are not for children, the series should be something for adults too.
All I can say about this casting news: Thank god another GoT cast member was able to move on.
I’m not upset that Louie will be black. I’m upset that we won’t be getting the books accurately portrayed. I don’t even know if I want to watch it now. If it’s not going to be Anne’s vision, why not just make an original vampire show.
Yeah.. This all sounds pretty bad. I think I'll stick to the books and the '94 movie. 🙁
Who else is psyched for What We Do In the Shadows Season 3?
Why are ppl racist if they don't like the fact the showrunner changes the race of one character already established?
I like thinking of it as an AU version. I just want them to get the relationships right and keep things from getting tropey and problematic (unless the are intentionally exploring such themes with a thoughtful and critical take).
"Tom Cruise was 31 when he was Lestat"
*Hyperventilates in age 31*
If anyone like me is apprehensive about the brothel setting, maybe it would be a comfort to hope that considering that's his human life, they'll spend only the first 2 episodes on that and the rest of the show will deep dive into the vampire drama we all love and stick around for?
Of course I still got that despair in the back of my head that yes they're gonna titty up the whole damn show.
I am betting they will have him still running the brothel and killing his workers after becoming a vampire for at least an episode or so.
Brothels as a setting have been done to DEATH!!!! they can be very intersting but this was INCREDIBLY lazy on part of the re-writers... If they were TRYING to somehow bring more "wokeness" to the story (which they did NOT have to do btw) they missed the mark
“I like vampires to be scourges of humanity” … just because I agree with you doesn’t mean I didn’t find that sentence to be eye popping 😆
I asked Anne on her Facebook page once and she said her and Ridley Scott considered animated films to get around the real life problem of actors aging. IDK if that would of been amazing or awkward.
Also New Orleans ended brothels in about 1911 so how much time did Louis have to make money? (there's a great old movie called Storyville about the brothels closing).
I would have loooooved that! Or imagine this series done in a Japanese anime style with all the vampire gratuitousness that American animation would be shy of.
@@MavenoftheEventide I agree. I wish they did that instead. :( Then they would've had Matt Bomer (who Anne wanted for Louis), other actors and even get to go the way Anne wanted.
Once she mentioned Brian Fuller I was waiting for the "he dropped out for no apparent reason" shoe to drop. He did the same thing with Star Trek Discovery and American Gods
There are African Americans with green eyes my niece has green eyes
Both parents are A.A
It's not hard to find
Tons of black people and mixed race people have green eyes. But if you're going to limit your actor pool to ONLY actors who have naturally green eyes, you're going to need a LOT of luck to find the perfect actor to embody the character. I think the acting talent is a whole lot more important than eye color. Contacts exist. They ended up casting an actor with brown eyes, anyway.
Also, Anne Rice kind of has a thing about frequently giving her POC characters green eyes.
So....they're changing every character's ethnicity, family background, and personality. They're changing the historical context. Why continue calling this 'Interview with the Vampire' or 'The Vamp Chronicles'? Why keep the characters's names? They've changed everything else.
Ah...but.....in a civilisation that experiences regressive decadence, attachment to surface authenticity (names, series title) matters much more than the very nature of the project that's being adapted. In decadent times, depth can be modified beyond recognition, so long as the surface remains the same.
I'm not interested in this series. Not because Louis is played by a BME actor. But because it's a lie. True to a thin surface, not to the all important substance. I have always been at odds with my times, surface doesn't matter to me, substance is everything. So, to paraphrase Louis in the 1994 IWTV movie...''I must most respectfully decline''.
If they want to make a show about a BME guy running 'Games of Brothels', then why not come up with a completely original story? Trying to bait the fandom? No....probably just trying to create controversy. In decadent times, angry debate is where it's at. Negative, heated conversations bout details create publicity. 95% of Facebook runs on it.
I think a lot of these changes have to do with greed. If a writer/producer changes anything to the IP they can claim rights to that part of the story. These people don't care about the original material, they just want to use the brand recognition and then 'make it their own' so they can get all the benefits. Why else would they go through all that trouble to change parts of a story that was perfectly fine to begin with.
Black Pimp Louis + Elderly Senior Citizen Daniel= Garbage! Seriously, it does not even resemble the source material @ this point. High hopes are completely dashed. This is going to be so embarrassingly bad!!!
I know this is the least important change someone would have a problem with, but, about making the vampire characters older makes sense for a multiple seasons show. If they cast teenagers, their aging would be more noticed and vampires shouldn't age. That being said, I don't care about the changes as long as the show is good. It must suck for Anne Rice not getting her vision realized but she still has a huge legacy with her books and maybe that story is not meant for other medias. Besides, I like when we have stories we already know told from another perspective and in a different context
well, then do them fast!
Not going to lie. Louis as a mix raced slave owner would be such a interesting setting to see play out.
Someone that shares heritage at the same time with privileges and violence. That looks down on others even though it shares part of their blood. And needs to learn to accept his blackness as part of him, the same way he needs to reconcile his thirst for blood...
Even though they going to change a good deal of it, I'm still excited for the project.
Is it wrong that I am tempted to call Hollywood vampires? I mean they suck up our money and suck all of the good things when they ‘try’ to bring an adaption of a popular book series or other things in the blind money hungry haze…Am I right or wrong?
The human race would be defined as vampiric. Not for blood but in other ways. We prey on each other to build ourselves up even if we don't want to acknowledge or are even aware of this predation. The rich feed on the poor is just the most glaring example. Look how billionaires gained billions more during a global pandemic by feeding on their workers and putting them at risk.
Watching you talk about something you love so much and follow so closely makes this 1000 times more interesting. I love hearing people talk about what they are passionate about!!!!
I could care less about this series, but you are totally getting me into it.
After (finally) being able to watch the "Interview"-Series, I have to say: "Lady, you are really good! You got it all right. I lift my fake-vampire hat and bow. I admire you're knowledge when it comes to Anne Rice and her work. Darkest greetings from Germany. Guido.
If any church lady admonish me regarding loving "evil vampires" I would respond to them and say "Look to your own house and see what the human species had done throughout history... especially during the 20th century not a pretty picture".
I mean, if it ends up good I'll watch it but I have a feeling the 1994 movie will still be the go-to.
I was not happy with the casting choice for Louis. There are other black actors who have a more striking look, and that actor from GOT just doesn't have that for me. I would've liked the lead from Bridgerton.
I'm sad about the time period change but I'm stoked none the less. All I keep thinking is WHERE IS CLAUDIA? LOL I hope Louis is still moody and emo.
Yes, the time period change saddens me, too. No Claudia, no going to Paris, no Armand, no Theatre. What will the plot be in the second half?
Actually, the location information given in those articles I was talking about say the locations are New Orleans, Eastern Europe, and Paris, so I think the Claudia and Armand plots are still on, they'll just get to the theatre by like...the 1960s? Instead? 🤷♂️
They're not actually shooting in Paris or Eastern Europe. The only shooting locations mentioned so far are New Orleans and Spain.
@@MavenoftheEventide that means they leave Paris, then about 10 years later Louis gives the first interview (?) That's insane.
The 1910s makes sense from the brothel owner aspect. Storyville was in full swing in New Orleans in the 1910s
I know there are a lot of black men and women on social media who are NOT happy that they've changed Louis's backstory to making him a pimp and the owner of several brothels. Talk about a negative stereotype for a black man to be in the hooker trade. By the time this show actually hits the network, it's going to be "Interview with the Vampire" in name only. They might as well, just scrap it and do an original story. A story about a clan of ancient and powerful African Vampires would probably do very well as a t.v. series.
As the potential premise of the new series was flushed out over the course of this video/expose, I was drawing the same questions as our wonderful host. In all things, I would hope that screenwriters and producers would think: "Will this plot/cannon-shift ultimately ADD to the story?" when making structural changes. With Louis being shifted to a Creole POC, I immediately agreed with the decision. Shifting his character and perspectives to those of someone who would have had vastly different experiences in New Orleans and surrounding southern Louisiana would have been such a wonderful take. Especially, as the Maven also pointed out, that with such richness in storytelling of the last 250ish years of southern Louisiana under her belt, Anne Rice didn't use it as an opportunity in the Vampire Chronicles to include black and POC folks' experiences in history in these novels. (The Feast of all Saints and Merrick/Blackwood Farm/Blood Canticle all did, though to varying degrees).
Where I began to become a bit skeptical, and as the Maven points out here, why did they feel the need to shift his narrative from the late 18th century to the early 20th? Knowing full well some, though not as many, Creole POC could and did own property and even slaves before the Civil War, the writers absolutely could have enriched the original storytelling by telling a lesser known element of Louisiana's history; all while maintaining the lush atmosphere and scenery of the 18th century. I also agree, that the shift to the brothel setting also could be a gratuitous ploy to introduce a whole lot of hetero sex into the story to balance out the queerness.
Either way, I think that this still could be a very wonderful television series. If you miss the original Interview with the Vampire story so much, luckily there is a novel, feature film, and graphic novel! I mean this in the sense that should you not be taken with these structural changes, you have other media you can choose to consume. I'll remain optimistic about this series. And, of course, I will be watching as it (hopefully 🤞) airs.
Watching this after the series is so wild because it’s an absolutely incredible adaptation and the changes made work so so very well
I've been following this since June (2018)... It's not getting any better 💔
(Edited to add the year)
And I'm not qualified to comment on the slaveowner thing but I always thought it was interesting how Louis became more moral after becoming a vampire than he was as a human.