The American Horror Story reunion fans have been waiting for is finally taking shape, and it looks every bit as chaotic as you might expect.
The official trailer for AHS: 13 brings back some of the anthology’s most recognizable characters, pulling together witches, killers, and other familiar faces from across the show’s history. Rather than revisiting a single chapter, the new season is turning the entire franchise into one massive crossover.
Welcome Back to the Show
The trailer begins with Jessica Lange’s Elsa Mars welcoming viewers back to the “greatest show on Earth.” The Freak Show character is quickly joined by faces from several other seasons, including Twisty the Clown and Peters’ Hotel villain James Patrick March.
“Get in. It’s witch-hunting season,” March says before the trailer turns its attention to the witches of Coven.
Emma Roberts returns as Madison Montgomery, while Sarah Paulson is back as Cordelia Goode.
“A harbinger of our doom,” Goode says. “So much terrifying and vengeful death. Something wicked this way comes.”
That approaching danger seems to be why so many characters are returning. Although the trailer keeps the new threat a mystery, co-creator Ryan Murphy has revealed that the familiar faces will have to work together to defeat an “ultimate evil.”
“Bringing together an all-star cast, many of whom are reprising fan-favorite roles, AHS: 13 continues to build on the anthology’s decades-long legacy that has been streamed more than 700 million hours across the globe and spawned a legion of dedicated fans,” reads the official synopsis.
“Which iconic horrors will return to haunt the hallowed halls of 13 and what new terrors await? Light your candles, draw your pentagrams and prepare for a supreme surprise.”
This Is More Than a ‘Coven’ Reunion
Fans initially suspected Season 13 would focus primarily on the witches because so many Coven characters were confirmed to return. Murphy has since clarified that the season will connect every chapter of the anthology.
“Everybody thinks it’s a ‘Coven’ season, and it’s not. It’s all the seasons,” Murphy told Entertainment Tonight. “It is like ‘The Avengers.’ They all come together to defeat the ultimate evil.”
The crossover also means viewers will see several actors play more than one familiar character. Paulson is expected to appear in six or seven roles, while Lange will reprise all four of her major AHS characters.
The returning cast also includes Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Frances Conroy, Gabourey Sidibe, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, John Carroll Lynch, Leslie Grossman and Jamie Brewer. John Waters, Tig Notaro, Madelaine Petsch, Mena Suvari, Avantika and Joey Pollari are among the other stars set to appear.
Season 13 will not be the end of American Horror Story. Murphy has confirmed he is already working on ideas for Season 14.
AHS: 13 premieres Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. PT on FX and Hulu. The season includes 13 half-hour episodes and will conclude Oct. 29. Watch the full trailer below.
