American Horror Stories - What We Know So Far

Ten years have passed since co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk introduced the world to "American Horror Story." During that decade, "AHS" has explored nine different themes, starting with "Murder House" and continuing to the most recent installment, "1984." The FX anthology series' tenth season, titled "AHS: Double Feature," is slated to premiere this fall. You might think that after ten years of aliens, ghosts, demons, the undead, and witches, Murphy would be running low on fresh ideas for the series. The reality, however, is quite the opposite.

In January 2020, Deadline broke the news that "AHS" has been renewed for an 11th, 12th, and 13th season. A few months later, Murphy revealed on his Instagram account that a new series, "American Horror Stories," was in the works. As the premiere of the new series draws closer, here's what we know so far and what we can expect from Murphy's next dive into horror.

Though Ryan Murphy casually broke the news of "American Horror Stories" in May 2020 on social media, little else is known about the spin-off series, save for its format of one-hour self-contained episodes. Deadline reported that the series, like most television and movie productions, was forced into hiatus in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming production once Hollywood re-opened.

With lockdown and quarantine delays behind it, "American Horror Stories" is now slated to debut in July 2021. Despite Murphy's lucrative deal with Netflix (via The Hollywood Reporter), his new series will release on FX on Hulu, with a new episode airing each week for 16 weeks. The tenth season of "AHS," called "Double Feature," will air its finale on Halloween, which would indicate an August premiere for "Double Feature" (via Decider), meaning that "AHS" fans will have two weekly horror shows from Murphy to take them from summer into fall.

Those who follow Ryan Murphy's work know his penchant for ensemble casts and familiar faces. The list of actors who have appeared in Murphy projects is a veritable "who's who" of the small and silver screens. As casting news for "American Horror Stories" has trickled out over the last year, it appears that Murphy has once again tapped several veterans of his other shows and series.

In June 2021, Murphy announced four actors set to star in at least one episode of the new series. Kevin McHale, best known for his "Glee" role Artie, has signed on, as has Dyllón Burnside from "Pose." The other two actors featured in Murphy's reveal are Nico Greetham, who appeared in Murphy's musical comedy "The Prom," and Charles Melton, best known for "Riverdale" and his appearances on "Glee" and "AHS: Hotel" (via TV Line). 

Additionally, Decider has reported that Sarah Paulson, who has starred in numerous Murphy projects, will be directing an episode of "American Horror Stories," though it's unknown if she will also star in an episode. According to IMDb, Paris Jackson, daughter of the late Michael Jackson and star of "AHS: Double Feature," is also set to appear. IMDb also shows that prolific actor Danny Trejo is slated to appear in an episode of "American Horror Stories." In a Twitter post from November 2020, Murphy stated that episodes "will feature AHS stars you know and love."

Unlike its parent series, which tells one story over the course of a season, "American Horror Stories" will consist of 16 hour-long episodes, each telling a different story. While specific plots for the episodes are unknown, Murphy has stated that the series will explore "horror myths, legends and lore" (via Twitter). A teaser image that Murphy released on social media ahead of the series' premiere appears to show a woman dressed in a black costume reminiscent of the Rubber Man from "AHS: Murder House," though it's unknown if the series will revisit themes covered in past "AHS" seasons. The woman in the teaser image has a cracked and hollow skull containing a black widow spider and its web, so arachnophobes are duly warned.

With Murphy and the cast keeping "American Horror Stories" details tightly under wrap, it's safe to assume that we're in for several surprises once the series' inaugural season kicks off.