According to Anne Rice’s own lore written in her The Vampire Chronicles novels, the Order of the Talamasca (or simply “The Talamasca”) is a secretive, paranormal-based research society with a centuries-old borderline obsession with the ongoing observation of paranormal beings – chiefly vampires, witches, and indifferent spiritual beings.
Talamasca Lore in Anne Rice’s Supernatural Novels
With the announcement of Akasha’s appearance in IWTV/The Vampire Lestat during the AMC Networks’ Anne Rice Immortal Universe panel at NYCC 2025, I believe I can confidently mention the Talamasca founder was supposedly a spirit, and one of three founders named “Gremt Stryker Knollys” that was introduced in the Prince Lestat novel. Keeping with the tangible theme of the past being ever-present today yet remaining hidden, Gremt also has connections to the Egyptian pantheon as does Akasha, Amel, etc.
(We will hopefully see more of this lore, or even a new interpretation of it during Lestat’s season in the upcoming Interview with the Vampire.)
While the Talamasca organization has differing dates on its founding (the 11th century in Lives of the Mayfair Witches, The Witching Hour novel, 748 in the Prince Lestat novel and then a decade later at 758 in The Queen of the Damned novel) given the Immortal Universe showrunner and executive producers lengthy discussion of the Talamasca’s role in establishing The Mayfair Witches show lore and its (possibly unintentional) show lore leaking into the Talamasca: The Secret Order story, I would (personally) beg to speculate that the Talamasca founding year set in this cinematic universe could indeed be 758.
In an establishing shot of a Talamasca Motherhouse interior in The Mayfair Witches Season 2 Episode 4, there is a shot with a fireplace that has the Talamasca’s motto of secrecy in differing languages and the date assigned DCCLVIII – which translates to 758.
Again this is just my personal speculation, and admittedly a bit of my bias showing as The Mayfair Witches is currently my favorite show in Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe (despite what other fans may say about it). Given the length of interactions (and lore learned) through Rowan Mayfair and Ciprien Grieve’s relationship, and then Rowan’s later relationship with Lestat in the novels, I personally believe The Mayfair Witches and the Talamasca lore they have explored (especially related to the Taltos and other elemental beings) could wind up being the unlikely key to understanding the entire Anne Rice novel series’ adaptations.
Especially considering the shared Celtic origins of the Mayfair family, Lestat, and Marius “the Roman”, this could open up a very interesting avenue of storytelling once you get past the France connection. After all, people seem to forget that Celtic Gaul existed before what we consider today to be modern-day France, and Norse origins claim a shared similarity if antiquarian texts are to be believed.
Anywho, you didn’t come here to read about my personal speculations surrounding the adaptation of the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, did you? You’d like to read the interview with the Talamasca Showrunner, Producers, and Cast, so let’s get on with it.
Interview with Talamasca the Secret Order Cast and Producers
New York Comic Con hosted a press conference for AMC Networks newest crown jewel in the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, Talamasca: The Secret Order. The cast featuring lead actors Nicholas Denton (Guy Anatole) and William Fichtner (Jasper) were in tow alongside the creatives Mark Johnson (Executive Producer) and John Lee Hancock (Executive Producer/Director/Writer).
Executive Producer Mark Johnson and showrunner John Lee Hancock sit down to discuss how Talamasca: The Secret Order expands the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, transforming the ancient organization into a modern occult spy thriller.
The theme of espionage and drawing from the spy genre was strong, and seemed to be an overarching theme centered around Anne Rice’s (albeit scattered) mentions of The Talamasca Order and its history spanning The Vampire Chronicles, Lives of the Mayfair Witches, and other assorted writings.
When asked about the process of adapting a live-action story about the Talamasca organization with strong espionage themes, Executive Producer Mark Johnson and Executive Producer, Director and Writer John Lee Hancock had this to say:
Mark Johnson: “Well, you know there is no Talamasca book, so it’s not based on a specific book, but it’s based on an organization that Anne writes as (a) separate throughout the number of books. In fact, the Talamasca appears in Interview with the Vampire, our show Interview with the Vampire, and The Mayfair Witches. And what was funny is that there was a certain grounding, a certain understanding of this organization, extremely well-funded, in which its members, its functionaries, were meant to keep tabs on the otherworldly going on in the universe, but not interfere. Just to keep tabs.”
By trying to get to the crux of “what the story” of the Talamasca could be and realizing it fit the spy genre, Executive Producer Mark Johnson called up a friend who happens to be an excellent writer, John Lee Hancock – to speak about adapting the Talamasca organization from Anne Rice’s novels. With some coaxing from Johnson’s partner and fellow Executive Producer Tom Williams (who worked on The Mayfair Witches), Hancock was on board for the project.
John Lee Hancock: “Anne Rice created this organization, and peppered it with individuals throughout the books that are Talamasca. They have their own separate histories that she has laid out. And yet there was no book about it.”
Tasked with creating a world to explore through a television series adaptation and drawing from Anne Rice’s work throughout her novels, Hancock led by focusing on the lingering questions left in Rice’s novels and started work from there.
“There was this great detail given to the organization…I looked at that as an opportunity to hopefully fill that out with the questions that I had about the Talamasca. When I read everything that Anne had written about it, I had a lot of basic questions. Do they hide in plain sight? What are their offices like – these Motherhouses? Do they have a sign? Can you ring the bell to go in? How do they recruit? What do they pay? How are they funded? Do they have vacation? Do they have an HR department? I had a million questions.”
We delve into the Talamasca’s secrets with the showrunners and cast, exploring how the fragile balance between human and supernatural forces is shattered by an internal war and a desperate search for knowledge.
When asked about their own experiences with Anne Rice’s novels and how it shaped their approach to the portrayal of their respective characters of new “psychic detective” Guy Anatole and Vampire Jasper, the authoritative leader of the London Motherhouse, actors Nicholas Denton and William Fichtner stated:
Nicholas Denton: “I did want to come at it from a kind of a newer place, a different place, and I think that because Guy is not an original character (in the novels), I wanted to have his own kind of voice. I’d seen the series, I’d seen the films, I hadn’t necessarily read all it (the books), but I did realize I was kind of barking up the wrong tree if I was going to take that aspect. If I wanted to go the spy route with Guy, and I found that most helpful because we are grounding this in a reality that is spy with vampiric and immortal qualities, too.”
William Fichtner: “I saw the original film and then I never read any of her books. And it wasn’t until I knew that I was going to meet these gentlemen here (while gesturing to Mark Johnson and John Lee Hancock) that I watched season one and two of Interview. By the time I blazed through that in the matter of a week, I was pretty excited about meeting them. Not that we’re making Interview, it’s a different show, it’s a different world – but I was excited about where we were going.”
Keeping the theme of grounding this adapted work in a reality that long-time Anne Rice fans could appreciate and new incoming fans could understand, Denton wanted to “honor” Rice’s world of created ambiguous, morally grey characters that have remained beloved over the decades since her work began.
“For me, what I liked and wanted to honor about Anne Rice as well was essentially having these morally ambiguous characters and playing into that with Guy and his sort of skepticism, his journey and making sure that he wasn’t kind of one note.” Denton continued, “He made his own decisions and had his own intentions at his best, really at the forefront of his mission.”
Fichtner chimed in agreement “I loved this journey from the very first time that I had a cup of coffee with these two gentlemen over here (gestures to his side), and to my knowledge there is nothing about a Jasper in previous Anne Rice writings and John Lee took off with that, so I kind of had a blank slate which was lovely.”
He continued that between conversations with Hancock and co-showrunner Mark Lafferty, “There’s nothing more fun than discovering a journey fresh. It’s not like I had to mirror something or come up with a new interpretation. I really could walk where I wanted to go, and with some great direction and guidance there’s no better path to be on for an actor. I think that’s what happened with this show and the character of Jasper. I really loved that turn.”
Stars Nicholas Denton and William Fichtner offer an exclusive look at the tense dynamic between psychic recruit Guy Anatole and the powerful, enigmatic vampire Jasper at the heart of the Talamasca’s spiraling conspiracy.
The two actors teased their characters’ evolved relationship over the series’ duration, with Denton stating that their relationship “has so many peaks and troughs, and has a really complex conclusion to it” that would interest audiences due to the emotions mixed throughout.
When asked what the cast and crew would like to see for the future of Talamasca: the Secret Order, Hancock promptly answered “a second season would be nice” with a laugh.
He continued by stating, “It’s amazing that you can pull so many different stories out of this, what probably began as a notion for her, the idea of the Talamasca that grew into an organization that she peppered throughout. It probably grew then to characters: I’m going to have Talamasca agents, etc. it grew from there. And to be able to kind of take that on and to keep building with it, that’s what I want to see.”
Talamasca: the Secret Order premieres October 26th on AMC Networks. If you are interested in my thoughts concerning the series, you can read them over on my second blog.
Will you be watching when the new show in the Anne Rice Immortal Universe premieres?
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