Louis and Lestat continue to captivate audiences, and this time they’re doing so in a form as immortal as they are.
To commemorate 50 years of Interview with the Vampire, publishing house Alfred A. Knopf and New York Times bestselling author (and son of Anne Rice) Christopher Rice have announced a lavish new hardcover edition of Anne Rice’s genre-defining classic.
This anniversary edition leans fully into the gothic decadence that has long defined the novel’s legacy. Featuring a foil-printed case, blood-red sprayed edges, marbled endpapers, and never-before-seen bonus pages from the original manuscript, the release is not only perfectly timed but created to fit perfectly in anyone’s collection. It also includes a new foreword by #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo and an afterword from Christopher Rice himself.
The cover itself, designed by Kevin Cantrell, pays homage to the original 1976 design. In discussing its creation on Instagram, Rice revealed that the font used on the first edition was entirely hand-drawn — a detail that was unknown until the birth of this new edition.
You can pre-order your copy here.
First published in April 1976, Interview with the Vampire reshaped the vampire genre, shifting it away from monstrous archetypes and toward deeply introspective, morally complex immortals. Told through the recollections of Louis de Pointe du Lac, the novel traces his transformation by the charismatic and cruel Lestat de Lioncourt, the creation of their daughter-vampire Claudia, and the unraveling of their “unholy family.”
The story’s emotional core is rooted in personal tragedy. Originally conceived as a short story in 1968, the novel evolved into something far more profound following the death of Anne Rice’s young daughter, Michele. The parallels are unmistakable — Louis, Lestat, and Claudia reflecting Anne, her husband Stan Rice, and Michele, respectively, in a haunting meditation on grief, love, loss, and continuing to live beyond said grief, love, and loss.
The book would go on to launch The Vampire Chronicles, one of the most influential horror series of all time, and inspire multiple adaptations. The 1994 film adaptation, directed by Neil Jordan and starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, and Christian Slater, remains a touchstone for fans. More recently, AMC’s critically acclaimed adaptation has introduced a new generation to Louis and Lestat, with performances by Jacob Anderson (Louis) and Sam Reid (Lestat) earning particular praise.
Following Anne Rice’s passing on December 11, 2021, at the age of 80, Christopher Rice has continued to honor her legacy. Among these efforts is Anne Rice: An All Saint’s Day Celebration, a documentary event held in New Orleans — the city that pulses through the veins of her most beloved work — where 1,500 fans gathered to celebrate her life and impact.
Fifty years later, Interview with the Vampire remains as seductive, tragic, and transformative as ever. Audiences continue to be drawn to its beautiful array of characters and the aching humanity that flows beneath their immortality as stories of love, loss, and longing feel just as immediate now as they did in 1976.
The special edition will be released on October 6, 2026, and is currently available for preorder.
And yes, some of us already have a copy reserved, ready to sit beside well-worn, hard-earned editions that started it all. (It’s me. I’ve already cleared the spot next to my 1976 first edition. No, it’s not coming out for six more months. It’s fine.)