DOWNTON ABBEY STAR UNRECOGNISABLE IN SUPERNATURAL SPY THRILLER NOW ON NETFLIX
A brand new horror series inspired by the works of Anne Rice has just landed on Netflix, with a near-unrecognisable Downton Abbey star among its glittering cast.
Talamasca: The Secret Order has just finished broadcasting in the US, with the full six-part series added to Netflix's library today (December 1). The show follows a top-secret organisation that keeps tabs on supernatural entities including vampires and witches.
The plot centres around struggling law graduate Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton) who finds himself caught up in a secret society named the Talamasca. According to Netflix's synopsis: "Guy, a struggling law graduate, accepts a bribe to meet the leader of a secretive occult organisation, only to discover they know of his unique ability."
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Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern stars as the enigmatic Helen, a high-up figure in the shady organisation. She looks world's away from her role as Cora Crawley in period drama, swapping out her trademark dark brown locks for a bright blonde bob in the role.
She is joined in the cast by William Fichtner (The Dark Knight), Maisie Richardson-Sellers (Nine Perfect Strangers) and Celine Buckens (Showtrial). Jason Schwartzman (The Grand Budapest Hotel) also makes an appearance as a guest star.
While the series is set in the Anne Rice universe, it is not based on a book series like The Mayfair Witches and Interview with the Vampire, which are two other Rice-inspired shows available to stream via Netflix. It means die-hard fans of the author may find it hard to anticipate how the new story will unfold.
Talamasca: The Secret Order's executive producer Mark Johnson, who oversees AMC's Anne Rice Immortal Universe, previously shared with Entertainment Weekly: "They [fans] may know about what the organisation is, and they may know some great stories about some loyal and disloyal agents of the Talamasca... [But] there isn't a Talamasca book."
Its release onto Netflix comes ahead of the highly-anticipated third season of Interview with the Vampire, based on Rice's The Vampire Chronicles book series. Slated for release in 2026, Interview with the Vampire's newest instalment will be rebranded to The Vampire Lestat.
Sam Reid will reprise his role as the charismatic vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, and this time viewers will see him living life as a 1980's rock star.
Talamasca: The Secret Order is now streaming on Netflix and is available to buy and keep on digital, the Blu-ray and DVD arrive 2 March
2025-12-01T19:58:34Z