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'Mayfair Witches' reveals Season 3 title, premiere date, new details at NYCC. What to know. * Season 3 of Mayfair Witches shifts the story's setting to Salem, Massachusetts, and introduces a darker, revisionist witch history. * The new season features Rowan becoming more powerful and introduces new characters. * Showrunner Esta Spalding and star Alexandra Daddario warn that the Mayfair family's situation will worsen. AMC takes over the Main Stage at New York Comic Con to provide fans with an exclusive first look at the highly anticipated third season of the hit series Mayfair Witches, with a new title and location revealed: Salem Coven. Showrunner Esta Spalding confirms the show will debut on December 30 on AMC and AMC+, officially shifting the dark universe from New Orleans to Scotland and now into the historic, supernatural landscape of Salem, Massachusetts. "We've got a new title maker, Mayfair Witches: Salem Coven." Showrunner Esta Spalding announces, "And it's really because this season is bigger and colder and very Salem-centric!" Moving away from the atmospheric streets of New Orleans and the isolated highlands of Scotland. The series introduces a dark revisionist take on Salem witch history, revealing that real witches have been embedded in the town's fabric since 1693. However, Salem functions as a literal supernatural trap."I think there's a bunch of mentions of Salem," Spalding adds. "But the interesting thing about Salem is that people were innocent; they weren't witches. So what we find interesting about Salem is that we keep imagining that there were a bunch of witches there who were unhappy about what was happening in 1693." On the brighter side, Rowan is more powerful and more commanding this season. "She's like... this family, man," Alexandra Daddario laughs. Rowan's character explores deeper witch mythology as she finds herself trapped in Salem, desperately trying to find a way out. "I guess we felt like we wanted to see her much more badass than she'd ever been before," Spalding explains. As one Mayfair sibling gains more control, another inhabits an entirely different type of control. The diabolical Julien Mayfair (Ted Levine) takes complete possession of his own son Cortland's (Harry Hamlin) body, vastly intensifying the Mayfair family conflict. Cyprien "Sip" Grieve (Tongayi Chrisa) now leads the New Orleans Talamasca house, but he quickly finds himself drawn into deeper Salem mysteries. Reflecting on his character's new leadership role, actor Tongayi Chrisa remarked, "He's a go-getter, and I think there's a lot that the town of Maska has kept from him, and he needs to clean house. But as soon as he walks in, it's like a chasm of more mystery." Season 3 also introduces Katherine Mayfair, played by Betsy Brandt, a fun, forceful new witch whose presence shakes up the family dynamic. Brandt is a familiar face to AMC viewers thanks to her role in Breaking Bad. When asked about stepping into the role, Brandy shared her excitement: "I love her...let's just say I'm embracing batsh*t crazy because it is what it is. I love her at her best and at her worst, and I had no idea. Playing a witch...it feels really good, really natural too." Jessica, played by Elisa Scanlen, is also introduced this season as a funny, big-hearted Salem witch who befriends Rowan, proving a grounded contrast to the heavy supernatural stakes. Reflecting on her unique role and her dynamic with Rowan, Scanlen shared, "She's an original character that is clearly inspired by several characters, the parts of other characters in the book." Scanlen says, "She's very self-deprecating. It was fun to play that tonally." Rowan's new romantic storyline introduces a mysterious new figure to the series named Michael Summers, played by Michiel Huisman, as an attractive love interest in Salem but a man hiding a dark secret. Daddario joked about Rowan's love life: "Well, Rowan is always looking for a new hot guy, and she found this hot guy! And he's super nice, and he's super cute, and I really like him. And that's pretty much what's going on... he has a secret, unfortunately." The final segment of the panel dived into the deep lore of the Immortal Universe, exploring how the series adapts Anne Rice's extensive literature and leaves the door open for future crossovers. Spalding sheds light on how they crafted the original character of Jessica (Eliza Scanlen), even detailing a quirky visual trait where Jessica literally builds a protective helmet into her witch hat. Reflecting on drawing inspiration from the source material to create this new dynamic, Spalding explained: "I mean, there are so many amazing female witches across the books. But we needed Jessica to be her own original being and also to be someone where we can see exactly what arises when you are raised by a mother like Katherine." The panel confirmed that deeper crossovers are actively being woven across the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, noting that the franchise's writers all share the same office floor to seamlessly collaborate and trade characters. Fans can look forward to a major musical nod to The Vampire Lestat in Season 3. A track from Lestat's iconic rock star era will be remixed and featured in a Mayfair Witches episode. While several familiar faces will make surprise appearances, the panel warned that the Mayfair family finishes the season in incredibly grim circumstances. When asked if things finally settled down for the family, Alexandra Daddario offered an ominous tease: "No, things do not work out. I mean, it's just like life. Is anything ever really truly resolved? Things only get worse." Mayfair Witches: Salem Coven, Season 3, December 30, AMC and AMC+

How Bacardí and AMC resurrected the Crypt Keeper after 30 years. Bacardí and AMC Global Media teamed to make the Crypt Keeper the host of FearFest 2026. 5 hours ago Join ADWEEK CEO Will Lee, senior brand marketers, and industry leaders at its ADWEEK Exchange Series, to discover how measuring real audience attention - not just impressions - drives smarter, higher-ROI CTV strategies. Two more stops in NYC and Boston next week with brand speakers from Havas, Hartz, Wayfair, WHOOP, SharkNinja, and more. Seats are limited. The Crypt Keeper is back, but to resurrect the Tales From the Crypt icon, AMC had to find a partner with the right... spirit. That's right, boys and ghouls. After a 30-year absence, the Crypt Keeper, along with his original voice artist, John Kassir, has returned to host AMC's 30th anniversary of FearFest, and spirits company Bacardí helped make it happen. Over the course of FearFest and its 650 hours of horror content in October, AMC and Bacardí will release five vignettes featuring the Crypt Keeper across linear and social. And for those who want even more Crypt Keeper, all seven seasons of Tales From the Crypt are now streaming on AMC+ and Shudder for the first time. See the latest vignette, "Better With a Beat," exclusively on ADWEEK below: AMC Fearfest Bacardi - Better With A Beat "The idea of bringing [the Crypt Keeper] back for the first time, resurrecting him from the crypt, if you will, just seemed so fun and on brand," Lisa Pfenning, VP for Bacardí Rum in North America, told ADWEEK. "We share a lot of the same values, the Crypt Keeper and Bacardí." Those values include self-expression and good humor - yes, the Crypt Keeper's signature puns are back. And with the added bonus of Halloween themes and '90s nostalgia, Pfenning called the stunt a natural partnership. But bringing the Crypt Keeper back after three decades wasn't just some easy hocus pocus. According to Bacardí and AMC, the companies spent months bringing the character to life. A tale about the Crypt. Bacardí had previously teamed up with AMC for FearFest in 2025, and coming into this year, the brand wanted to make an even bigger splash to own Halloween. To get things started quickly, conversations kicked off in early 2026, according to Mike DiGiacomo, head of integrated marketing and Content Room, AMC Global Media. At the time of those initial conversations, AMC didn't have the streaming rights to Tales From the Crypt, but as the months went on and the licensing deal was finalized, the idea of bringing back the Crypt Keeper for original content began to catch on. "We were like, 'This could be something,'" DiGiacomo said, adding, "When we first presented the idea of partnering with the Crypt Keeper to Bacardí, their eyes lit up. All we had to say was 'Crypt Keeper,' and we hit the ground running." The team got to work on multiple rounds of creative, integrating the Crypt Keeper into Bacardí's music-inspired campaign, "Better With a Beat"; recruiting horror effects master and Walking Dead director Greg Nicotero to update the Crypt Keeper's look and direct the Crypt Keeper content, which included Kassir as the voice; and weaving in Bacardí throughout the process. "Our whole thing is authenticity. We know that there is a very dedicated audience behind this franchise, so if we're going to do it, if we're going to bring Crypt Keeper back, we want to do it right," DiGiacomo said. Crypt Keeper is known for showing up in different sketch situations, such as taking on the role of a creepy Santa Claus or acting like a barber with towels hot enough to melt someone's face off. This time, Crypt Keeper is coming back as a cocktail-loving DJ to work within the Bacardí theme, and you may even see some of the signature Bacardí "Spookito" cocktails on display, which are a mojito with a bloody grenadine twist. AMC also noted that utmost care was taken with his look and in walking the line so the content didn't feel too commercial. "If I'm a fan and I'm watching Tales From the Crypt on Shudder, and I get fed this content, am I going to call that out as an ad, or am I going to actually take that as real content?" DiGiacomo said. "Across the board, no matter who the advertiser is, no matter what the platform or the IP is, that's first and foremost when it comes to partnerships." Regarding Crypt Keeper's slightly updated look and attire, DiGiacomo noted it came down to relying on experts like Nicotero and the creative team being fans themselves. "One of the secret sauces we have and something that we talk to brands about a lot is that we're all fans too, which really makes a difference," DiGiacomo said. "The people on my team who are working on this project are fully leaned in, and are fans of the genre and the series itself." Cryptic future ahead? Fans can obviously be opinionated around iconic IP, and though there are detractors about the Crypt Keeper's updated look, there are also plenty of supporters. And AMC and Bacardí noted that there's been positive feedback both internally and externally. "Consumer feedback has been great. We've been watching the comments. People are excited to bring him back. They're excited that the show is being rerun," Pfenning said. So what happens next? Will the Crypt Keeper return? Could there be more Tales From the Crypt episodes in the future? "Yet to be seen if the Crypt Keeper makes a comeback next Halloween," Pfenning said. "But we will continue to nurture our relationship with AMC for sure." On specific future plans, Bacardí is as silent as the grave. But it is a spirits brand, so there's always a... shot. AMC Fearfest Bacardi - Guess Whos Back Bill Bradley is Adweek's deputy TV, Media and Sports editor. Recommended videos