Ryan Murphy’s anthology show American Horror Story returned to form last season with the terrifying and twisted Cult.
Even before season seven aired, FX had renewed the show for season eight and nine, leaving fans to speculate whether that confirmed the popular fan theory that all the seasons represent one of the nine circles of Hell from Dante’s Inferno.
But while we might have to wait until season nine to see if that theory is right, here’s everything you need to know about season eight.
American Horror Story season 8 trailer: When’s it arriving?
The build-up to season seven started in late July with a string of creepy teasers before the first proper trailer landed in late August, a few weeks before the show aired.
We’ve now had the first teaser for season eight and it’s suitably terrifying, but we await the first proper footage from the season.
American Horror Story season 8 release date: When can we expect it?
The first five seasons of the show all premiered in early-to-mid October on FX in the US, before the show moved to a September slot for seasons six and seven – and FX has now confirmed that we’ll be getting the same mid-September premiere date for season eight too.
That’s right, we’ll be getting the next season of AHS on September 12, 2018 as confirmed by the show’s official Twitter account, along with the caption: “Not long now.”
In the UK, Fox has confirmed that it will be unleashed on Thursday, September 27 at 10pm, so UK fans will be a couple of weeks behind.
American Horror Story season 8 theme: What’s it about?
Murphy made every fan’s dream come true in June when he confirmed that season eight would feature the long-awaited Murder House and Coven crossover. “AHS #8 WITCHES RULE THIS SEPTEMBER,” he tweeted.
We don’t know much else about what that will mean for season eight yet, but he has previously revealed that the new season takes place in late 2019 and promised that it’s a “very high concept”. “It’s a season unlike anything we’ve done because there’s a big hook to it. There’s a huge thing that happens in episode five,” Murphy teased.
To help you out ahead of the crossover, here’s an entire timeline of all the major events that have happened in the show to date, including characters who might come back from previous seasons.
One initial theory for the season eight theme was ‘Radioactive’ after “American Horror Story: Radioactive” was trademarked earlier this month by Twentieth Century Fox – which produces and distributes the show – and Murphy hasn’t yet confirmed or denied the rumour.
That theory was proven wrong though as it was confirmed on July 20 that season eight will be called American Horror Story: Apocalypse, along with a typically creepy image of a baby being looked after by a demon.
It potentially confirmed our theory that the crossover will see the witches of Coven either side with or fight against the Antichrist that was born in Murder House.
American Horror Story season 8 cast: Who’s coming back?
Pretty much all your favourites are back, including Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates and Evan Peters, alongside Cult comebacks Adina Porter, Cheyenne Jackson, Billy Eichner, Leslie Grossman and Billie Lourd.
Emma Roberts has also confirmed she will be back and likely to be reprising her Coven role of Madison Montgomery, despite the fact that the character was killed off twice in season three.
Dynasty legend Joan Collins will also feature in season eight, playing the “glamorous” grandmother of Peters’s comedic hair stylist.
Eichner has also been teasing new additions – or a major return – to the cast by sharing an image of some of the cast at a dinner, placing a ghost emoji over one of the attendees. Could it be Jessica Lange?!
Whether or not that guest was Lange, it has now been confirmed that she WILL return to the show in season eight for one episode, reprising her Murder House role of Constance Langdon in an episode directed by Paulson.
American Crime Story: Versace star Cody Fern has also been revealed to be playing the adult Michael Langdon, the evil baby and potential Antichrist from Murder House.
Paulson teased to Digital Spy that her season eight character is “something I’ve never done on the show before”. She’s reprised roles before on the show and it now seems that this hint was about playing three different characters this season.
Those three characters are Coven‘s Cordelia Foxx, Murder House and Hotel‘s Billie Dean Howard and new character Venable who we got a glimpse of in a creepy teaser.
Thanks to a leaked photo from the set, we also know that there will be two new guest stars in season eight in the form of UnREAL‘s Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman and The Path‘s Kyle Allen.
Ryan Murphy has also confirmed that Taissa Farmiga, Gabourey Sidibe, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy and Stevie Nicks will all feature in Apocalypse.
Sidibe revealed on Instagram that she is playing Queenie (despite the character’s death in Hotel), while it took until Murphy shared a first look at the witches reunited on set to confirm that everyone else will reprise their Coven roles.
If you’re keeping track, that’s Farmiga as Zoe Benson, Rabe as Misty Day, Conroy as Myrtle Snow and Nicks as the fictional witch version of herself.
Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton will both be returning for Apocalypse as their Murder House characters Ben and Vivien Harmon, while Farmiga will play two roles in season eight as she reprises the role of Violet Harmon.
Talking of stars playing two roles in the new season, it’s also been confirmed that Evan Peters will also be playing Tate Langdon, so that’s both parents of the Antichrist – Vivien and Tate – featuring in Apocalypse.
One Coven star who isn’t returning is Angela Bassett who has confirmed that she won’t be featuring in Apocalypse.
Having skipped out Cult, Hotel and Roanoke star Finn Wittrock has also revealed that he won’t be in the new season as well. “As of this year, no,” he explained. “But I’m sure I’ll be involved in the Ryan-verse somewhere in the future.”
American Horror Story airs on Fox in the UK and FX in the US.
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