Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre Talk Bringing Vampire Academy to Life

Vampire Academy, the eagerly anticipated adaptation of Richelle Mead’s beloved YA series, finally arrives on Peacock this week and for fans of vampire-themed television, it’s a series coming from some familiar faces. The Vampire Diaries co-creator Julie Plec as well as star Marguerite MacIntyre have teamed up to bring the series to life, delivering to an already passionate fan base the latest adaptation at the beloved book series. For Vampire Academy fans, the new series being in Plec and MacIntyre’s hands is an exciting prospect and not just because of Plec’s impressive work with The Vampire Diaries universe, itself beloved by fans. It turns out that both Plec and MacIntyre are themselves fans of the books.

Speaking with ComicBook.com, Plec and MacIntyre spoke about making Vampire Academy, and what they are most excited for fans to see — and what they are most nervous about when the series’ story of friendship, romance all set in a world of privilege, glamour, vampire society, and more debuts on Peacock on September 15h.

“I am a big reader of books, and I am a fan of novels, and I am a fan of YA and I read it for pleasure and by choice and have always done so. And so, every time I read anything, of course, the storyteller in me is saying, ‘Ooh, what if I could make this as a movie? What if I could turn this into a TV show?’ And when I first read vampire academy, the whole series, I loved it. And would’ve happily jumped at the chance to make show right then and there. But nobody really cared what I liked or didn’t like, and nobody was knocking on my door asking what kind of TV I was ready to bring out into the world. So, I just had to wait until somebody believed that about me and asked me the question,” Plec said. “If there’s one thing that you could make that you’ve not had a chance to make yet, what is it? Because Vampire Academy was the answer. And so Universal, Peacock gave me that opportunity. And I didn’t even think twice about the fact. I remember having a feeling like there’s going to be some hater out there. That’s just like, “She can’t do anything but write vampires.” But fine, hate away. Because ultimately what I’m telling in my own mind is a story about friendship and about and about love and about community and about society and trying to present a viewpoint of society that is meaningful and very, very timely and present. Say a little something about the world that we live in or the world that we want to live in.”

For MacIntyre, she said she had initially read the books at the same time previously, but when she went back and revisited the series, it felt even more timely than ever to her now.

“Well, it’s funny because we had read them at the same time, because we were on a vacation together a million years ago before Vampire Diaries. And so, I hadn’t realized I’d read the whole book series. I thought I’d read one of them. And when Julie said, ‘I’ve got this now,’” MacIntyre said. “I was like, I’ll admit, I was like, ‘Ooh, more vampires?’ And she was like, ‘Remember royal court, there’s some political backstabbing, there’s some stuff.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. Right. I forgot.’ And then I went back and read them, and the world is so lush and rich and there’s so much going on. And then of course it’s a class, that’s a class system that’s fraying at the edges that can’t be sustained. It’s unequal, it’s unfair. And it’s tearing the system apart. And I was like, ‘Well, that couldn’t be more timely.’ And so, I felt like to be able to tell that story in this genre way to get it in under the radar, not have it be on the nose, kind of blunt force storytelling. And just to kind of ask some questions in this way with vampires and castles and fighting and romance and all that, felt like a really great opportunity.”

But while the series is one both Plec and MacIntyre have been excited to take one, Plec did say that there’s one thing she’s both nervous about and excited about: the series’ take on Dimitri Belikov, played by Kieron Moore.

“I am the most nervous. I know you didn’t ask, but I’m going to lead with that for them to meet Dmitri because he is a far cry from the man described in the books,” Plec said. “But I am also the most excited for them to meet Dmitri because he is everything that I personally would’ve wished Dmitri would be in that he’s sensitive and he’s, he’s soulful and he’s fierce and he got so much love to give but doesn’t know how to give it. And he’s sexy and, I mean, he is all good. So, I’m excited about that.”

McIntyre said that she was also very excited about the cast, but also the details of the world they built with the series, including a language built by Dave Livingston who previously created Dothraki for Game of Thrones.

“I’m pretty excited ’cause it’s a wonderful cast and cast from around the world and some very beautiful performances and great chemistry between everyone. But I’m excited for people to see this whole world build. As we’ve said, you haven’t seen this before,” MacIntyre said. “There’s ancient and modern. You’ve got people in scenes where you’re like, ‘Is this the 15th century? And then later you’re like, there’s a computer and what’s the thing. And building, like you said, we’re building, we have our own language by the guy who created Dothraki, Dave Livingston. And we have our own currency, and we have all the world, every tiny detail has been built and it’s unique. It’s a very special thing. And in the books, the castle, the royal stuff is on one side of the country, the schools on the other. Here, everything is all together. And so, you have this story that’s heating up and heating up and heating up all next to each other. And it’s exciting. I’m very interested to hear what people will say.”

From executive producers Julie Plec & Marguerite MacIntyre comes a story of friendship, romance, and danger. In a world of privilege and glamour, two young women’s friendship transcends their strikingly different classes as they prepare to complete their education and enter vampire society. One as a powerful Royal, the other a half-vampire Guardian trained to protect against the savage “Strigoi” who threaten to tear their society apart. That is, if Royal infighting doesn’t do the job first.

Vampire Academy will debut on September 15th on Peacock.