EXCLUSIVE: The Kingcast podcast lives on. The popular podcast devoted to the works of Stephen King was slated to end this year following the unexpected death last May of co-host Scott Wampler. But due to enthusiastic interest from listeners, Eric Vespe, who created the show with Wampler, announced today he will keep the series going with new co-host Anthony Breznican.
Vanity Fair writer Breznican has been covering King extensively for the past 23 years. He has appeared multiple times as a guest on The Kingcast and also has interviewed King approximately 20 times over the years about his books, TV shows and movie projects.
“I have been a listener of this show since the beginning, and it’s going to be strange but fun to be part of the conversation now instead of just listening while I do chores around the house,” Breznican said. “I love what Eric and Scott created. It’s like Hot Ones, but with people going hardcore on King stories instead of Atomic Sauce. So I was beyond thrilled when Eric invited me to help keep it going. Stephen King means a lot to me, and I know he’s had a huge impact on so many other storytellers. We’re going to keep bringing those memories to the Constant Readers out there.”
The Kingcast is part of the Fangoria Podcast Network, which will continue its support for the show.
Vespe also oversees another new podcast, The Spiel, focused on the works of Steven Spielberg, from SpectreVision Radio. He began co-hosting that show with Josh Robert Thompson after Wampler passed away.
“It was a blow to lose Scott last May and I knew if I was to continue the show I’d have to bring in somebody that lives and breathes the work of Stephen King, so I turned to Anthony, who is not only a great reporter and author, but a spectacular interviewer and die hard fan of the master of horror,” Vespe said. “It wasn’t an easy choice, but it was an obvious one and I can’t wait to see what shenanigans we get up to in the new year.”
In 2025, Vespe and Breznican will create another series of shows speaking to filmmakers, authors, actors and interesting thinkers of all types about their favorite King books and adaptations.
Vespe has been covering entertainment since the age of 14, when he waited around after a George Carlin performance to get the comedian to talk to him for his school newspaper. He began covering film for Ain’t It Cool News not long after that under the codename “Quint,” and continued there for over 20 years. He went on to freelance for outlets such as Playboy, Slashfilm, Collider, Syfy Wire, Backstory Mag, Birth.Movies.Death and Fangoria.
Breznican has been covering entertainment for nearly as long, working as a staffer at The Associated Press, USA Today, and Entertainment Weekly, where he hosted a weekly radio show on Sirius XM for six years. He is currently the senior Hollywood correspondent at Vanity Fair, and is the author of The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline with Amy Ratcliffe and Rebecca Theodore-Vachon, as well as the upcoming Star Wars Icons: Darth Vader, about the creation and evolution of the galactic villain. He also wrote the 2014 novel Brutal Youth, which was praised by King.
His most recent story about King explored the Mike Flanagan adaptation of The Life of Chuck, which went on to win the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival this year and features cameo appearances from both Vespe and Wampler. Flanagan, a longtime supporter of The Kingcast, dedicated the movie to Wampler after his untimely passing.
