Would American Horror Story Fans Watch An Animated Season?

Since its premiere in 2011, "American Horror Story" has undergone numerous transformations, as each season or spinoff has introduced something new to the franchise. To start, given that it's an anthology series, every season typically tells an entirely new story — with the most notable quasi-exception being Season 8, which combines elements of Seasons 1 and 3. Even then, however, fans praised Season 8 for featuring a mix of returning cast members and characters brand new to the show.

In recent years, "American Horror Story" has experimented not just with its storylines but with its very form. Controversial spinoff series "American Horror Stories," for example, tells a different story in each of its episodes, forgoing the seasonal arcs that defined the franchise previously. Furthermore, the season of the mainline series that followed it was divided into two discrete halves, each taking place in a unique setting.

While the franchise's creators have yet to discuss an animated season in any official capacity, given how often "American Horror Story" shifts gears, it's likely not outside the realm of possibility. That said, existing "AHS" fans have mixed thoughts about this prospect.

In a January 2022 thread on the "American Horror Story" subreddit, user elekineticeleven011 asked some of their fellow "AHS" fans whether or not they would enjoy an animated season. Overall, opinions were typically mixed or qualified, with little outright support. User Gaycel68, for example, replied, "American animation is very lacking in quality, and I doubt they'd get creative and go into stop-motion (a perfect fit for AHS, but labor-consuming) or something distinct like Spider-Verse," and suggested rotoscoping as an alternative. User T-408, meanwhile, wrote that "it would have to be stylistically unique and at least retain some of the cast for voice cameos. Maybe a short-form animation could work."

In another, similar Reddit thread from September 2014, many viewers similarly shared their support for an animated season under particular conditions. User roflbarn, for instance, commented, "Not as an official season. If they did it as an off season project released online I would definitely watch." User tyler1618 similarly replied that their enjoyment would depend "on the form of animation they used."

So, while some additional comments expressed either unqualified support or an outright lack thereof, the prevailing sentiment seems to be that "American Horror Story" fans are open to an animated season but only if it's not animated for novelty's sake but well-thought-out and taking full advantage of the medium.