Fans of American Horror Story (AHS), the FX horror anthology TV series, are eagerly awaiting the start of Season 8 of the series after season 7 (AHS: Cult) wrapped up last November.
The anticipation is heightened by the fact that creator Ryan Murphy has so far shared very little information about the new Season 8 episodes first announced in January 2017.
However, new details emerging as the premiere date approaches indicate that this season is set to dish out plenty more of the trademark horror that AHS fans have grown to expect.
Ahead of the premiere, here are all the American Horror Story Season 8 details we know so far.
American Horror Story Season 8 release date
FX announced last June that American Horror Story season 8 will premiere in the U.S. on Wednesday, September 12, 2018, at 10/9c. It will premiere on FOX U.K. at 10 p.m., Thursday, September 27, two weeks after the U.S. premiere date.
Not long now. #AHSFX pic.twitter.com/Hgozue0JKF
— AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) June 28, 2018
Roanoke (season 6) and Cult (season 7) were also released in September 2016 and September 2017 respectively, but seasons 1 to 5 all premiered in October.
Murphy appeared to explain the shift in release dates from October to September when he told Vanity Fair in a 2016 interview, ahead of the release of season 6 of the TV series, that he preferred wrapping things up before the holiday season because “I just don’t want blood with my Christmas ornaments.”
American Horror Story season 8 title and plot theme
The title of the upcoming season 8 of American Horror Story was confirmed at a San Diego Comic-Con event in July 2018 as Apocalypse.
It was previously rumored that it would be titled American Horror Story: Radioactive after some fans discovered that a trademark had been filed for an American Horror Story series under that title. However, the speculation ended when FX confirmed last July that the eighth season would be titled Apocalypse.
— AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) July 20, 2018
Earlier, while speaking during the Television Critics Association (TCA) semi-annual press tour in Pasadena on January 5, 2018, Murphy said that when he first pitched the title for the upcoming season 8 of American Horror Story to FX Networks CEO John Landgraf, he “fell out of his chair with joy.” However, according to Murphy, Landgraf urged him at the time not to reveal the title.
Murphy gave a hint of the plot theme for American Horror Story season 8 when he took to Instagram on July 30, 2017, to post a note listing the “nine circles of Hell” as Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery.
Each “circle of Hell,” except for Lust and Violence, had a past season of the American Horror Story anthology linked to it. The list sparked speculation that the deadly sins of Lust and Violence would be the plot themes for season 8.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXKTLsIA6Y8/
Teasers and trailers
The producers of American Horror Story season 8 released a creepy teaser captioned “It’s time,” on August 6, 2018. The teaser shows a fetus inside the upper bulb of an hourglass.
The fetus is connected by its umbilical cord to a beating heart in the lower bulb of the hourglass. The heart suddenly bursts into flames and explodes.
Two bodies, one a female form with a gas mask on, are then shown lying in a shallow pit. A black liquid comes out of the gas mask and fills the hole, and the bodies are submerged in the black water. Two taloned black fingers then pull a skull into the water.
It's time. #AHSApocalypse pic.twitter.com/z2FO9tKCZm
— AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) August 6, 2018
Other teasers have also appeared on American Horror Story’s official Twitter page. The one below, posted to Twitter on August 8, with the caption “Don’t let go,” shows an evil-looking black arm reaching out to grasp a red demon baby’s arm.
Don’t let go. #AHSApocalypse pic.twitter.com/bs9uhE2UVF
— AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) August 8, 2018
A third teaser for American Horror Story season 8 (Apocalypse) posted to AHS’s official Twitter page on August 10, with the caption “Fear what’s forbidden,” shows the same devilish black arm using a talon to cut open a pear. Two scorpions, a black and a red one, emerge from the cut pear.
Fear what’s forbidden. #AHSApocalypse pic.twitter.com/KNCeGuou44
— AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) August 10, 2018
American Horror Story season 8 timeline
Murphy revealed during the TCA winter press tour in Pasadena, California, in January 2018, that Americana Horror Story season 8 will be set in the future but “not [in] space,” as some fans speculated.
“All I’ll say about it is I want to go to the future,” he said. “I think people will like it. It’s different from what we’ve done before.”
Although online rumors claimed AHS: Apocalypse (season 8) will be set in 2032, Murphy confirmed on April 6, 2018, while speaking at an Emmy FYC panel that featured Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Billy Eichner, Cheyenne Jackson, Adina Porter and Leslie Grossman, that it would be set “18 months from today (April 6, 2018),” that is, in October 2019.
AHS season 8 storyline and plot: Murder House/Coven crossover
After a creepy poster showing a red-skinned infant with an evil-looking black hand touching it was released in July 2018 at San Diego Comic-Con, fans began speculating that American Horror Story season 8 would likely pick up from where season 1 (Murder House) left off on the story of Tate Langdon and Vivien Harmon’s Anti-Christ son, Michael Langdon (Asher Gian Starita), who was adopted by his grandma Constance Langdon (Jessica Lange).
michael langdon was supposed to bring the end of times, and now this season is called #ahsapocalypse HE IS COMING pic.twitter.com/YAeSB4fwYX
— damian (@filmskinny) July 20, 2018
Murphy had talked during the TCA winter press tour in January 2018, about doing a crossover between Murder House and Coven, but suggested that season 9 and not season 8 would be the crossover season.
“We’re working on it (Murder House/Coven crossover), but that’s not going to be [Season 8],” he said, according to TV Line. “That will probably be the one after that (season 9).”
But he later confirmed in a June 2018 tweet that American Horror Story season 8 will be the Murder House/Coven crossover.
https://twitter.com/MrRPMurphy/status/1007361446093586432
The crossover season will see the return of members of the Langdon family from Murder House (season 1) who bought a house in L.A. that turned out to be haunted. American Horror Story season 8 will also likely bring the Langdons and the New Orleans witches from Coven (season 3) together.
Since Murphy dropped a strong hint on April 6, 2018, about the plot of the season 8 (Apocalypse) by urging fans to look up what might be happening “18 months from today,” fans have been debating what the significant event could be. Many pointed out that October 6, 2019, marks the 58th anniversary of President John Kennedy’s speech that the U.S. should build nuclear bomb shelters.
However, Murphy warned fans that the plot of American Horror Story: Apocalypse (season 8) would be more of fantasy than reality. He added during the Emmy panel in April 2018 that the tone of the new season will be similar to Asylum (season 2) and Coven (season 3).
“It’s heightened,” he said. “It’s not necessarily as real and grounded as the past season. We’re sort of getting back to Asylum, and Coven. That’s the tone of it.”
American Horror Story season 8 casting
Murphy also revealed at the Emmy FYC panel last April that returning cast members from previous AHS seasons include Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Billy Eichner, Cheyenne Jackson, Adina Porter and Leslie Grossman. He told EW in June 2018 that American Horror Story season 8 will be “unlike anything we’ve done,” and that it will feature all the witches from Coven.
“It’s a season unlike anything we’ve done because there’s a big hook to it,” he said. “There’s a huge thing that happens in episode five. You will see so many fan favorites return that you’ll feel like it’s The Love Boat. It’s a very high concept.”
Paulson and Peters confirmed earlier this year that they were returning to play leading roles in American Horror Story season 8. The confirmation did not come as a surprise to fans. Everyone had expected that Paulson, who has appeared on all seasons of the TV series so far, will play a leading role in the new AHS season. The Emmy and Golden Globe award winner had previously confirmed her return for season 8 of the show in an October 2017 interview with Adweek.
Paulson and Peters will also make directorial debuts in the eighth season. During the TCA summer press tour on Friday, August 3, Paulson confirmed that she will play multiple roles, including her Supreme Witch character from Coven, the Headmistress Cordelia Goode of Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies. She will also play psychic medium Billie Dean Howard from Murder House, and a new character named Venable.
Kathy Bates, who had to sit out Cult (season 7) because of her role in Netflix’s comedy series Disjointed, will also return as Miss Mead. Murphy had confirmed in March 2018 that Bates will play a leading role in American Horror Story season 8 alongside Paulson and Peters.
Bates revealed during the TCA summer press tour on Friday, August 3, that her character’s name was Ms. Meade.
Murphy confirmed last July that American Crime Story star Cody Fern, will play the role of adult Michael Langdon, the character fans first met as the Anti-Christ Harmon baby in season 1 (Murder House) of the TV series.
https://twitter.com/MrRPMurphy/status/1022630914575069185
The Anti-Christ baby’s return in American Horror Story season 8 titled Apocalypse could mean that the end is upon us. We will learn what he’s been up to since he was born to Vivien in Murder House.
Multiple sources have confirmed that Dynasty actress Joan Collins has signed up to appear as the grandma of Evan Peters’ hairstylist character, and that Anjelica Houston was in talks to appear this season. Although we know that Peter is directing an episode, Martin Woodall could not confirm which episode he’ll be directing because the schedule is still “flexible.”
Paulson confirmed earlier in August, during the TCA summer press tour, that Jessica Lange will return after her last appearance in Freak Show (season 4). She will reprise her role as Constance Langdon in the sixth episode of American Horror Story season 8: Apocalypse which Paulson will direct as well as star in.
Fans will recall that Constance was the mother of Tate Langdon and Harmon family’s next door neighbor. She was also the Anti-Christ baby Michael Langdon’s grandmother.
https://twitter.com/MrRPMurphy/status/1026876449175695360
Other cast members to return for American Horror Story: Apocalypse (season 8), according to an August 7 tweet by Murphy, include Emma Roberts, who will return as Madison Montgomery, Billy Loud as Mallory, Adinah Porter as Dinah Stevens, and Gabourey Sidibe as Quennie. Taissa Farmiga, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy, and Stevie Nicks, will also return in the new season.