Tag Archives: American Horror Story

‘AHS: Coven’: More creepy teasers!

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You know you can’t get enough of these things. Ryan Murphy and company have concocted even more creep-tastic teasers hyping the upcoming third season of American Horror Story. After the break “Stakes” and “Coffin” await your click but the 30-second clip hanging above called “Initiation” is the juiciest; this one finally features Coven‘s female-driven cast. See if you can spot them all: Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Taissa Farmiga, Gabourey Sidibe, Emma Roberts, Jamie Brewer, and Evan Peters.

AHS: Coven premieres October 9 at 10PM on FX. Continue reading ‘AHS: Coven’: More creepy teasers! →

Inside the ‘American Horror Story’ main title sequence

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If you’re a fan of FX’s American Horror Story then you know just how intricate and foreboding the main title sequences for the series can be. In this brief but tantalizing clip, executive producer Ryan Murphy and title designer Kyle Cooper discuss the sheer amount of effort that goes into making the title sequence for the show. Since each season tells an entirely different horror story with new characters, each opening sequence therefore also shifts and adapts to a new setting and tone.

“If you can make a title sequence that elicits an emotional reaction, that’s a successful title sequence,” says Cooper.

“I’ve always been obsessed with main titles, I really feel like it’s an art form,” Murphy adds. “It tells you what the viewing experience ahead is going to be.”

Murphy goes on to tease what fans can expect from the Coven opening titles, and I’ll save that fun morsel for you to hear yourself. Click play and invite that spooky theme music back into your squishy brain.

AHS: Coven premieres this October.

[Via THR]

‘American Horror Story: Coven’ drops two creep-tastic teasers

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The third season of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story is coming soon and you know what that means: freaky teasers that are brief yet mesmerizing in their mystery are being released into the wild.

After exploring a murder house and an asylum, AHS: Coven takes us to New Orleans where we’ll witness a battle between Salem witches and voodoo practitioners. As it likes to do, the show will take place in present day as well as flashback to the past–in this case the 1830s. At the summer TCAs, EP Tim Minear shed some light on Coven‘s themes:

“Some of the bigger themes this year are oppression of minorities of all kinds, and within that idea, minority groups going after each other and doing the work of the larger culture. While there is a strong feminist theme that runs throughout Coven, there are themes of race and themes of oppression, and themes of family–especially mothers and daughters.”

Familiar AHS faces take on new characters in the upcoming season. Jessica Lange is a witch named Fiona and Sarah Paulsen is her daughter Cordelia. Newcomers Angelia Bassett and Kathy Bates play voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau and New Orleans socialite and serial killer Madame LaLaurie, respectively. Rounding out the cast are veterans Evan Peters, Lilly Rabe, Francis Conroy, Taissa Farmiga, Denis O’Hare, and Alexandra Breckenridge and newbies Gabourey Sidibe, Emma Roberts, and Patti LuPone.

The first teaser titled “Detention” has numerous women levitating up against white walls as an eerie rendition of “The House of the Rising Sun” plays in the background. (Anyone notice the legs in the fireplace?) After the break, watch the second teaser called “Pins & Needles” and prepare yourself for a nice little scare.

AHS: Coven premieres on FX this October.

Update (8/15): A third called “Staircase” is here, below. Continue reading ‘American Horror Story: Coven’ drops two creep-tastic teasers →

Ryan Murphy reveals the name of the next season of ‘American Horror Story’, introduces Kathy Bates as villain

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On Friday Ryan Murphy and company took the stage at PaleyFest and made come major announcements concerning the upcoming third season of his horror anthology series American Horror Story. First, we’ve got the subtitle: Coven. And yes, the new season will be about witches. “It’s a really cool story we’ve been talking about for a couple of years, and this seemed the year to do it.” We were told in the past that AHS 3 will shoot on location in three different cities across the country; Murphy revealed that one of those locales will be New Orleans. “The fun thing is researching what are the really haunted places in America, and we have a couple doozy locales,” he said.

As previously announced, Jessica Lange will lead an ensemble cast that includes returning AHS actors Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy, and Taissa Farmiga. A surprise guest joined the cast and creators on stage at PaleyFest: veteran actresss Kathy Bates is joining the cast to play a “cuckoo-for-Cocoa Puffs character” that is at odds with Lange’s new character. “I wanted to see a lot of scenes with Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates going at it,” Murphy said, “so that’s what you’re going to see.” Despite playing the villain in the 1990 psychological thriller Misery (a role that won her an Oscar), Murphy promises that her AHS role is even worse. “Oh, Kathy’s never [played] someone this bad. Her [character] is a bad, bad woman,” he exclaimed. “When I pitched this to Kathy, her mouth was drop-jawed because what I was pitching actually happened,” he went on. “It’s a true event…You’ll see. It’s some good stuff.”

American Horror Story: Coven is really starting to take shape now. With an all-star cast and exciting new locations planned, anticipation is as high as ever for the FX drama. AHS returns for more spooks this fall.

[Via Deadline; TVLine 1, 2; EW]

Ryan Murphy teases ‘American Horror Story’ season 3

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Ryan Murphy is still being tight-lipped about the clues he dropped in the final few episodes of American Horror Story: Asylum that shed light on what’s to come in season 3 of the anthology horror series. But at a recent screening of the Asylum finale, he did open up to reporters about who’s signed on to come back and he gave a very big picture preview of the upcoming season.

When FX renewed AHS for a third season in November, it was revealed that Jessica Lange (Constance then Jude) would return for the third time in a row to star. Since then, Murphy has let slip that Sarah Paulson (Billy Dean then Lana) and Evan Peters (Tate then Kit) are also coming back as newly fleshed out characters for the new season. Also on tap to return is season 1 star Taissa Farmiga; she played Ben and Vivian Harmon’s daughter Violet. Murphy told EW: “I missed her this season. There wasn’t really a role for her. I feel very protective of her and I didn’t want her to go back into the loony bin—it was too dark. So I thought well ‘I want Taissa to be one of the leads next year.’ I called her up and pitched her the character for the season and she loved it and she said, ‘Yes let’s do it.’ So we’re in negotiations for her to headline season 3.” Rejoining the gang behind-the-scenes is director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon who helped some of the best episodes this season including “I Am Anne Frank (Part 2),” “Spilt Milk,” and the finale “Madness Ends.” Murphy said he’s signed on to direct every third episode next season and that he will have a creative hand in every episode produced.

As far as plot details go, Murphy isn’t diving in just yet but here’s what we’ve got so far. The third season will be “more historical in nature” and take place in modern day across three different cities (on location), though time will jump into the past as it did in season one. The show will continue to harp on our horrors but overall the new season will be lighter in tone than Asylum; it will feature more comedic elements and a romance story. The major arc will revolve around Lange’s character who Murphy hypes to be a “glamour cat leading lady” who will be privy to “hair and makeup and the best designer gowns ever.” Next year’s major monster following season 1’s Rubber Man and season 2’s Bloody Face will be “a great icon–and it’s a woman,” Murphy teases. In fact he says that a big theme in season 3 is going to be “female power.”

And here’s good news for fans of the series. Murphy sees it going for years and years. “I hope this show goes for 10 years because I have so many different kinds of horror that I would like to write about,” he says. “But, I love that you can jump periods and you can play with different actors.  I know the actors love playing different characters. So, it’s something that we’ll always stay with.”

American Horror Story reboots next fall.

[Via THR; TVLine; Collider]

Want to know what ‘American Horror Story’ season 3 is going to be about?

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FX gave the green light for a third season of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s anthology series American Horror Story. In tonight’s episode “The Name Game,” a clue will present itself for viewers to find and interpret and this clue will shed light on what to expect in the next season. Murphy played this game with fans last year. In season 1 episode 11 “Birth” Sarah Paulson’s character Billie Dean converses with Taissa Farmiga’s Violet and mentions an evil energy generated by places like prisons and asylums. And wouldn’t you know–AHS season 2 takes place at an insane asylum. So how will things play out in tonight’s ep?

“It’s not done like it was last year,” Murphy tells EW. “It’s a different kind of clue. You really have to be quick and watch. I made sure to put it in there for the fans because I know people loved that last year, figuring it out.”

Will it come from the mouth of Paulson’s new character Lana, or perhaps someone else will spill the beans. (My money is on Pepper!) Or maybe it won’t be a verbal clue at all but instead be something mindlessly chilling in the background. Will it come wrapped inside the lyrics of a song? If you find it, share your discovery in the comment section below. When Murphy confirms it (which likely won’t be for months–he likes to give time for the fans to figure it out on their own), I’ll post the update here.

American Horror Story: Asylum airs its fourth to last episode tonight at 10PM on FX.

Update: In EW’s post-episode interview, Murphy did not comment on the specific clue hiding in “The Name Game.” However, when he was asked if next season will be lighter he responded like this:

“I mean, I don’t think anything could ever be as dark as the mental health care system in our country. I sorta feel like for the third version I want to do something that’s a little bit more “evil glamour.” Just something that’s a little bit more…one of the things that I missed this season was I really loved having that Romeo & Juliet youth story with Violet and Tate. I want something like that again and we’re doing something like that in the third season. And we’re contemplating shooting the show in a different place. We’re contemplating shooting it in a place in the country where true horror has been. We’ve got lots of delicious plans.”

FX renews ‘American Horror Story’ for season 3

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This week FX renewed American Horror Story. With strong ratings and intense creativity brimming, it’s no shocker. The anthology series’ third season remains under wraps plot-wise, of course, but it has been revealed that Jessica Lange (Constance Langdon in Murder House, Sister Jude in Asylum) will star again. With season two encompassing so many intense fears, it’s hard to imagine what Ryan Murphy and co. have in store for us next.

FX president John Landgraf: “With American Horror Story: Asylum, Ryan and Brad have raised the bar in every way from Murder House, the first American Horror Story miniseries. And their original idea—the notion of doing an anthological series of miniseries with a repertory cast—has proven groundbreaking, wildly successful and will prove to be trendsetting. We can’t wait to see what deviously brilliant ideas they come up with for their third miniseries.”

FX begins production on the third season of AHS this summer and it’s set to premiere in Fall 2013.

Currently, AHS: Asylum airs Wednesday nights at 10PM on FX.

‘American Horror Story’ season 2 gets subtitled ‘Asylum’, new details emerge

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The highly anticipated second season of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story is coming soon. The facts are these: season one star and Golden Globe winner Jessica Lange is back but this time in the lead role. Zachary Quinto, Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, and Evan Peters, other cast members featured in season one, return. All returning actors, however, will be playing completely different characters. Since AHS has been branded an anthology series, every season will tell a completely new story and feed off a different kind of fear. Season two ditches the haunted house for an east coast mental institution and goes back in time to take place in 1964.

And now for things you haven’t heard yet. Season two has a name: American Horror Story: Asylum. Murphy shares: “When we launched the show last year, we kept quiet about the closed-ended nature of the show because we didn’t want to tip off the audience that the characters were not going to survive. Now that it has been established that each year is a closed-ended story, the time seemed right to reveal what we’re calling the new installment. We picked Asylum because it not only describes the setting — an insane asylum run by Jessica Lange’s character which was formerly a tuberculosis ward — but also signifies a place of haven for the unloved and the unwanted. This year’s theme is about sanity and tackling real-life horrors.”

The growing cast is not something to bat an eyelash at. In addition to the returning season one stars, AHS season two brings the following actors into the fold: Adam Levine (yes, of Maroon 5), Jenna Dewan, James Cromwell, Joseph Fiennes, Chloe Sevigny, and Clea Duvall.

Besides what he’s said here, Murphy has yet to spill on the beans on a more well-rounded plot description. Still, Lange runs an insane asylum; that should be enough of a hook to get you watching. Surrounding this subtitle announcement, though, Murphy leaked two pictures from set; one featuring star Adam Levine shining a light on the mysterious wall paint “Bloody Face” (see above) and the other also includes Levine with co-star Jenna Dewan and Glee‘s Lea Michele (see after the break). What does it all mean? Tune into FX this October to find out.

[Via THR; Twitter 1, 2] Continue reading ‘American Horror Story’ season 2 gets subtitled ‘Asylum’, new details emerge →

Ryan Murphy sheds more light on ‘American Horror Story’ season 2

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At a TV event in Hollywood this week, American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy excited fans of the FX psychological thriller by revealing some important facts about what they can expect when season 2 rolls around this October. As we already know, Golden Globe winner Jessica Lange is back but not as Constance Langdon; she’ll be playing an entirely new character as will be the other returning cast members from AHS season one (namely Zachary Quinto, Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, and Evan Peters). Murphy also previously let slip that the next season will take place at an “horror institution” on the East Coast. But now we know more.

“[Season 2] is set on the East Coast at an institution for the criminally insane that is run by Jessica [Lange’s new character],” Murphy said this week. And what was the clue pointing to this that was planted in the first season’s “Birth” episode Murphy once alluded to? It was “something that Sarah Paulson’s character, Billie Dean, says to Jessica and Taissa [Farmiga] as she’s sage-ing the house and talking about places where evil collects: We talk about institutions and prisons and things like that. That was the clue.” Mystery solved.

Also new: “[Season 2] is a completely different world and has nothing to do with Season 1; there’s not a mention of Season 1,” Murphy added. “The second season is set in a completely different time period.” Farewell, little demon child? Chew on that.

Murphy made sure to reiterate that other actors from season 1 (i.e. Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, Taissa Farmiga, Frances Conroy, Alexandra Breckenridge, Denis O’Hare) might show up in the new season. “The idea is to work with actors that you love and are excited by,” he said. “The second season, everybody who was announced, there will be other people up on this stage who are not announced who will also be in it but are playing the polar opposite of what they were in the first season in every way.”

In addition to all this, also announced was a new character that will be played by Maroon 5 frontman and a judge from The Voice Adam Levine. Said Murphy: “He’s a sexy guy, so he needs to play a sexy guy — but the guy that is different than who you think he would play. I pitched him the part and he listened, slack-jawed, and simply said, ‘I’m in.’ The second season is fun, sexy and baroque. It has a lot of meat to it; it’s a really gritty part. He’s with a girl, and they play characters called The Lovers.”

And just like that AHS season 2 is starting to come more into focus.

[Via THR]

Ryan Murphy confirms returning actors to ‘American Horror Story’ season 2

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Last month Ryan Murphy guested on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live and revealed that Golden Globe winner Jessica Lange will return to his FX anthology series American Horror Story. He also let slip that four other actors from the first season of the show will be back in season two. AHS opened the 2012 PaleyFest last night, and in front of critics and fans of the show, Murphy confirmed the returning actors and they are: Zachary Quinto (he played the gay previous murder house owner Chad Warwick), Lily Rabe (she played Nora Montgomery, the baby-obsessed wife of the original murder house owner Dr. Charles Montgomery), Sarah Paulson (the mysterious medium Billie Dean Howard who could speak to the spirits in the house and (we think) rightfully predicted the birth of the demon baby), and (drum roll, please) Evan Peters (the son of Lange’s Constance character Tate Langdon).

Besides announcing the returning lineup, Murphy and co-creator Brad Falchuck remained mum about season two plot details. Here is what the panel got out of them. “We don’t want to talk about it too much, we’re still writing, anybody could pop up at any time,” said Murphy when questioned about the return of Quinto, Rabe, Paulson, and Peters. He added that “everyone is playing the opposite of what they played before.” (As we already know, AHS has been called an anthology series and each season will take place in a new location featuring all new characters.)

A day before the panel, EW reported Lange’s comeback and during that interview Murphy hinted that the next season of the show will revolve around her new character. Chew on this quote: “We have designed the second season of American Horror Story completely around her [Lange’s] character. Last year Jessica came in with Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott. This will really be the Jessica Lange show so I’m very excited about it. We are designing this amazing new opposite of the Constance character for her. She and I have spoken about different things. She has a lot of ideas, and has a lot of input into her character. She told me some things she has always wanted to play as an actress. She’s a great collaborator and a great friend.”

Back at the panel, a few more morsels of intel surrounding season two were dropped: Quinto is set to play one of two male leads; Murphy: “A supernatural element will always be a part of the show. But we’re trying to do something more historically accurate”;  Murphy again: “Our only rule is no werewolves, and no vampires”; and in the first season Lange’s Constance alluded to a fourth child she had and Murphy shared that “We have not lost sight of the fourth child. We want to answer that.” So perhaps some things will bleed from season one into proceeding seasons. We shall have to wait and see.

American Horror Story begins production on season two this July with an expected October premiere date.

[Via Deadline; TVLine]

‘AHS’ season 2 scoop: Jessica Lange is back and the location is (sorta) revealed

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On Tuesday night American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy guested on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live and he dropped some juicy hints surrounding the second season of the FX horror anthology. He confirmed that Jessica Lange, who recently won a Golden Globe for her brilliant turn as nosy neighbor Constance Langdon, will in fact return to the show in season two. (As was already made public, she will not reprise Constance but instead play an entirely new character.) Murphy’s reveal, embedded after the break, insinuates that she will make “an appearance” at some point during the next season and perhaps won’t be billed as a series regular. But nothing has been set in stone just yet.

Murphy also spilled that he is currently in talks with four actors from season 1 to have them appear in the new season in some capacity. He specified that none of them are from the Harmon family, so that logically leaves us with the aforementioned Lange, Denis O’Hare (Larry), Evan Peters (Tate), and Frances Conroy (Moira). Though all these actors were fantastic, my fingers are crossed especially tight for the return of Peters!

And then Murphy let loose one more morsel of season 2 intel: the new horror story will take place on the east coast at “a horror institution.” Until more information leaks, use your imagination.

[Via TVLine] Continue reading ‘AHS’ season 2 scoop: Jessica Lange is back and the location is (sorta) revealed →

‘American Horror Story’ season 2 will be “radically different” as series creator Ryan Murphy confirms anthological roots

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[Major spoilers inside] On Wednesday FX’s hit new show American Horror Story came to a dramatic conclusion, leaving most of its main cast members dead. The entire Harmon family passed on (including Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, and Taissa Farmiga) and they linger in the haunted house as ghosts with their dead child and the sweet maid Moira played by Frances Conroy. The only series regular that managed to survive the whole ordeal is Jessica Lange, who was recently nominated a Golden Globe for her portrayal as the neighborly Constance. So with the Harmon story complete, where does the show go from here? Today AHS co-creator Ryan Murphy led a conference call with members of the press and explained that the show was originally built as an anthology meaning that each season will be “radically different” from the last.

“Every season of the show will be a different haunting,” Murphy explains. “That’s always been the plan. Every season of the show will have a beginning, middle and end, and all new characters and setting … and we’ll have a new overriding theme.” So does this mean McDermott, Britton, Farmiga, Conroy, Lange, and even Rubber Man himself Evan Peters will not be returning for season 2? Not necessarily. “We’re still negotiating with a handful [of the cast members] about returning,” Murphy says. “We’re also meeting with new actors whom we’ve targeted roles for. I will say that Connie and Dylan will not be playing the leads of the show in the second season. We’d love for them to come back and do something, maybe a smaller role or a cameo.” He continued, “There will be familiar faces and some new faces. People that are coming back will be playing completely new characters… Getting to tell a different aspect of what an American horror story can be [every season] is fascinating.”

And with that it is confirmed from the man at the top that AHS season 2 will tell an entirely new story and introduce to viewers a new slate of characters that will have new issues to deal with. Murphy went on to tease what may be in store for season 2. “There are all kinds of different American horror stories to tell. There are serial killing stories, prison stories, true crime stories…Each year of the show is designed to be a little miniseries unto itself. The only thing we’re not open to doing is a season on vampires.” Phew. More: “The second season of the show will [feature] a brand new home or building to haunt,” so in addition to the main cast you can also kiss goodbye the haunted manor you’ve become accustomed to during season one. Itching to find out what exactly the next American Horror Story will be about? “There’s a clue in the last three episodes where we say what the second season will be,” Murphy teases.

Jump after the break for more. Continue reading ‘American Horror Story’ season 2 will be “radically different” as series creator Ryan Murphy confirms anthological roots →