'Mayfair Witches' EP teases a character crossover with 'Interview With the Vampire'

The Sunday premiere of Mayfair Witches marked the start of the second series in AMC's planned Anne Rice universe of series. Starring Alexandra Daddario as Dr. Rowan Mayfair, a skilled neurosurgeon who discovers she's the heiress to a generations-long line of powerful witches known as the Mayfair dynasty. At Tuesday's Television Critics Association winter press day for AMC, Mayfair Witches showrunner Esta Spalding and Anne Rice universe executive producer Mark Johnson shed a little more light on how this series might crossover with Interview With the Vampire.

"There's a character connection between both shows," Spalding teased, but he didn't elaborate on whom that might be.

"There are ongoing conversations. We want to tie these worlds together in a way that makes sense," Johnson added. He promised that viewers of both series will see connections in terms of characters and shared geography. Of course, we've already seen the common setting of New Orleans in both, which is the setting of many of Rice's novels and where she called home. 

The first season of Mayfair Witches will have eight episodes that, according to Spalding, will cover the big themes and moments, including the ending, from Rice's The Witching Hour novel (1990). 

"Basically, the first season is the first book," she confirmed. "We wanted to start with Rowan, and we wanted to follow her journey."

Because the novel clocks in at 1000 pages, Spalding praised the material as "an embarrassment of riches," but that they had to leave some things out, including the middle chapters that delve into the Mayfair history. She hopes if they get a second season order, they can explore that lineage more. 

In terms of focus for the freshman season, Spalding said the ongoing mythology focuses both on Rowan's story and on the demon Lasher (John Huston) who has been tied to her family for centuries. She also explained that the character of Ciprien Grieve (Tongayi Chirisa), who is introduced in the pilot, is an amalgamation of two book characters, Michael Curry and Aaron Lightner. The writer explained that it was necessary to slim down the cast because the series is "about female power and if there were too many forces hovering around [Rowan], it would distract." 

The Ciprien character is assigned to observe Rowan by the Order of the Talamasca; a secret society that keeps track of all paranormal and supernatural creatures. Since the Talamasca pop up in Rice's Mayfair books and the Vampire Chronicles books, that's as likely a place as any to look for that crossover character. 

New episodes of Mayfair Witches air Sunday nights on AMC and AMC+.

Looking for more supernatural scares? Stream Chucky on Peacock.