Peacock's 'Vampire Academy' Adaptation: The Cast, Plot, and More

Daniela Nieves as Lissa Dragomir in Peacock's 'Vampire Academy'

(Image credit: Jose Haro/Peacock)

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published 15 September 2022

The BookTok girlies have a new book-to-screen adaptation to binge with Peacock’s Vampire Academy, which hit the streaming service September 15. You may recall the 2014 film version of Vampire Academy starring Zoey Deutch, but Vampire Academy is now getting a silver-screen makeover. The new series adapts the hit YA books of the same name by Rachel Mead into 10 steamy episodes. As for what to expect? In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, co-creator Julie Plec, a.k.a. the producer of Vampire Diaries, said, “It's got everything: It's got the Bridgerton and The Hunger Games."

What Is 'Vampire Academy' About?

Fans of the book series will be happy to know that season 1 of Vampire Academy follows a similar storyline to the first book in the series. Vampire Academy follows a half-human half-vampire, aka “Dhampir,” named Rose Hathaway (Sisi Stringer) and her best friend Lissa Dragomir (Daniela Nieves), a Royal princess vampire, or “Moroi."

As Lissa’s Guardian, Rose is sworn to protect Lissa from the Moroi’s enemies, the Strigoi, a group of evil killer vampires. After spending two years on the run, the best friends are forced to return to their boarding school, St. Vladimir's, where they face forbidden romances, class distinctions, and political schemes.

As in the books, you can expect plenty of romance, but the story of Vampire Academy is fundamentally about friendship. "At its core, it's a story about a friendship that nobody thinks can survive because society isn't built that way—and yet, through thick and thin, they have each other's backs," Plec told EW. "That's what I love so much about it—yes, there's romance aplenty and yes, Dmitri [Kieron Moore] and Rose and Christian [André Dae Kim] and Lissa are two really terrific romantic relationships in the books. But this is a story about these two women and how they, together, as a team are going to end up doing some really meaningful things in the world."

When Does 'Vampire Academy' Premiere?

Vampire Academy premieres on September 15, and Peacock is kind enough to release the first four episodes to binge to your heart’s desire. The remaining six episodes will then be released weekly on Thursdays.

Who's in the Cast of Vampire Academy?

Sisi Stringer will be playing the fiery-spirited Guardian, Rose Hathaway. Though it's early in her acting career, you may recognize Stringer from her role in 2021’s Mortal Kombat film as Mileena. Meanwhile, Daniela Nieves makes up the dynamic duo as vampire princess Lissa Dragomir. Nieves is also a relatively fresh face, but she recently starred in Hulu’s Sex Appeal.

Also joining the cast are Kieron Moore, André Dae Kim, J. August Richards, Anita-Joy Uwajeh, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Rhian Blundell, Jonetta Kaiser, and Andrew Liner.

Trailer for 'Vampire Academy'

Get a sneak peek at Vampire Academy through the trailer:

Vampire Academy | Official Trailer | Peacock Original - YouTube

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The trailer gives us plenty to be excited about—glamorous dances, epic fights, steamy scenes, and more. It starts off at a glitzy ballroom where Rose and Lissa seem to be enjoying a night out, but things quickly turn violent. Strigoi seem to be lurking around every corner as Rose attempts to keep Lissa safe, while Lissa struggles to keep up with the burden of her royal title.

watch 'Vampire Academy' on Peacock

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Brooke Knappenberger is the Associate Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she specializes in crafting shopping stories—from sales content to buying guides that span every vertical on the site. She also oversees holiday coverage with an emphasis on gifting guides as well as Power Pick, our monthly column on the items that power the lives of MC’s editors. She also tackled shopping content as Marie Claire's Editorial Fellow prior to her role as Associate Commerce Editor.

She has over three years of experience writing on fashion, beauty, and entertainment and her work has appeared on Looper, NickiSwift, The Sun US, and Vox Magazine of Columbia, Missouri. Brooke obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with an emphasis on Magazine Editing and has a minor in Textile and Apparel Management.