On Friday, October 10th, the panel welcomed the cast and executive producer of the award-winning series Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat to the Main Stage. This season centers on Lestat de Lioncourt as he enters his rockstar era. The panel treated fans to an exclusive preview of the show’s return in 2026. Executive producer Mark Johnson, writer Hannah Moscovitch, along with cast members Sam Reid (Lestat de Lioncourt), Jacob Anderson (Louis de Pointe du Lac), Eric Bogosian (Daniel Molloy), Assad Zaman (Armand), and Jennifer Ehle (Gabrielle de Lioncourt), shared exciting updates with moderator Holbrook.
During the discussions, Bogosian and Zaman captivated us with their insights into the development of their characters. Although Zaman didn’t attend the press conference, we’ve included his contributions from the panel. Here are the key highlights from their appearances during both the panel and the press conference.
Fresh New Fledgling
With Daniel Molloy achieving an old wish to become a vampire, Eric Bogosian gives fans a taste of how Daniel is taking to being a fledgling.
“It’s not easy, you become a vampire at different stages in your life, and in my case, it’s very late in life. So there is a lot of Daniel, as a human being, in Daniel, and this struggles with these new powers he gets. Also, if you go back to the very first moments of our series, Daniel was a grumpy guy, hanging around his house in his socks, watching TV, and being pissed off. Pissed off guys with powers can be dangerous.” – Eric Bogosian
Or “Transformational Trauma” as Lestat would call it. In terms of this new season, Bogosian continues:
“To be turned later in life means you’re going to carry more of what you were into this other thing, which is not human. You’re a vampire, you’re something else. It’s another dimension. But he is laden with all of this. And unfortunately, like what Sam just said, the story of this season, a big part of it is Daniel, well, a big part for me anyway, is Daniel wrestling with the endless contradictions of being suddenly immortal. And I mean, I put in one little extra thing for me to just play the character. For a man who spends his life being an investigative journalist and thinks very logically, the world of vampires is not logical. These guys don’t do logical things. So that really bends his mind, and it creates a lot of stress in this third season. It’s hard for him. It’s hard. And fun.” – Eric Bogosian
Be sure to check out our other The Vampire Lestat articles from New York Comic Con! We’ve got you covered on the panel, with great insight from Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson.
The Devil’s Minion
Season two greatly spoiled the audience with Armand. From glimpses into his backstory to becoming the well-defined gremlin everyone loves him to be, Assad Zaman brought the complex depth of this character to life. After swearing that he would never make a fledgling, Armand breaks this by turning Daniel Molloy at the end of the season. “Devil’s Minion” has become a popular fandom name for the two characters and their interesting relationship. Sealing the ‘devil’s minion’ title, or as (Mod) called it during the panel, becoming “daddy,” the crowd erupted into hoots, laughter, and thunderous applause.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard it referred to as ‘Daddy,’ and I like it. Can we keep that?” – Assad Zaman
He glances at Eric before smiling, then adds, “He likes it too.”
The relationship between Armand and Daniel is sure to shift in season three, but Eric explains their dynamic perfectly.
“You know when a little kid has a stuffed animal and they drag it around for years and years. It only has one eye after a while, and it’s all torn up. That’s his (Armand’s) approach to Daniel. He thinks it was love. That’s his idea of love.” – Eric Bogosian
“It’s tattered, it’s broken, but it’s mine.” – Assad Zaman
Of course, season two ended with Louis and Armand having quite the rocky breakup. Louis learned of all the lies Armand had fed him and kept hidden behind a beautiful face for years, and the ties between them are now estranged. But, leading into season three, fans do hope to see them cross paths again.
“I think the more important question, for me, going into this season is where is his relationship with himself. And that informs how everyone else fits around it, or doesn’t.” – Assad Zaman
Both Bogosian and Zaman brought great insight to the table on what’s to come with their characters. The Vampire Lestat is set to debut in 2026 on AMC and AMC+. Filming for the season has just concluded, indicating a good sign for a 2026 release. To catch more of Bogosian’s fantastic performance as Daniel Molloy, catch him in the new Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order, on the streaming service AMC+ or by streaming live AMC via a service like Philo or DIRECTV.
New York Comic Con will return in 2026, but while fans wait, they can check out WonderCon and Anime NYC, a more accessible and equally exciting alternative. New York Comic Con returns October 8-11, 2026. For updates and ticket information for both events, be sure to sign up on their official websites!
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