AMC’s Immortal Universe will continue later this year with another season of Mayfair Witches, now subtitled Salem Coven.
The channel’s New York Comic Con panel on Friday revealed the new name, and now AMC’s released a trailer highlighting what viewers can expect. Shifting to a popular city associated with witchcraft, the show’s take is that Salem’s been luring and trapping witches there, which is a problem for those who successfully managed to blend in during the witch trials. Now Rowan (Alexandra Daddario) finds herself similarly drawn to the city, and she’d very much like to leave.
While the books mention Salem “a bunch,” co-showrunner Esta Spalding acknowledged the team wasn’t being 100% faithful to the source material with the new season. (Even the season’s new characters are more “inspired by” those from the books rather than pulled from them.) Because the team had “an urge to shake it up,” switching locations felt like an appropriate way to represent that shift.
Another reason for going to Salem? Giving Rowan more witches to interact with, said EP Mark Johnson. “We felt like we wanted to see her much more badass than she’d ever been before. […] That’s why we’ve brought in the character of Jessica, who is a witch that’s grown up in Salem and doesn’t know she’s trapped there, she just thinks that’s where she lives. She gives somebody for Alex to play off of who’s really comedic and full of heart and lets Rowan be much more commanding and sometimes make the wrong decision.”
Mayfair Witches: Salem Coven premieres December 30 on AMC and AMC+.
[via The Hollywood Reporter]
Want more io9 news? Check out the best movies and TV shows to stream this month and all the upcoming sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books that should be on your radar.
