FX and Hulu will premiere the 13th season of American Horror Story on September 24, 2026, as a grand crossover uniting all past seasons of the horror anthology.
Showrunner Ryan Murphy confirmed the upcoming installment brings back core cast members to face an absolute evil. Sarah Paulson will take on six or seven roles, while Evan Peters plays five.
The series kicks off at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time with 13 half-hour episodes. FX and Hulu will release three episodes on premiere day and three more a week later, followed by weekly paired episodes running through December 17, 2026. Filming began in April 2026 after FX originally approved a three-season renewal in 2020. The season 12 finale aired in April 2024.
The new season will not air on official Russian streaming platforms, though professional dubbed versions are expected. Returning stars include Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman, and Jessica Lange. Singer Ariana Grande dropped out of a planned cameo due to scheduling conflicts, though Murphy remains open to working with her later.
Season 13 Crossover Concept
Murphy originally intended the 13th season to continue the story of the third season, Coven, which previously linked with season eight, Apocalypse. The showrunner later expanded the concept to connect every storyline in the anthology's history.
Paulson returns after playing journalist Lana Winters in season two and witch Cordelia Foxx in seasons three and eight. Peters revisits roles including ghost teenager Tate from season one, student Kyle from season two, and hotel founder James Patrick March from season five.
Bassett returns after portraying a voodoo queen in season three and a vampire movie star in season five. Bates reprises roles including slave owner Delphine LaLaurie from season three, hotel manager Iris from season five, and a Roanoke leader from season six.
Roberts reinterprets witch Madison Montgomery from season three and camp counselor Brooke from season nine. Lourd plays witch Mallory from season eight and student Montana from season nine. Sidibe returns as witch Queenie from seasons three, five, and eight, while Grossman plays socialite Coco from season eight and camp director Margaret from season nine.
Anthology History and Early Seasons
Created by Murphy and Brad Falchak, American Horror Story debuted in 2011 on FX. Each season presents a self-contained story built around urban legends, horror tropes, and American history, while maintaining a consistent core cast.
Season one, Murder House, follows psychiatrist Ben Harmon, played by Dylan McDermott, his wife Vivien, played by Connie Britton, and daughter Violet, played by Taissa Farmiga. The family moves from Boston to a discounted Los Angeles Victorian mansion where previous owners died violently. Violet falls in love with Tate Langdon, an aggressive patient treated by Ben, while neighbor Constance Langdon, played by Jessica Lange, frequently visits. The family soon discovers over 20 brutal killings occurred inside the home.
Season two, Asylum, takes place in 1964 at Briarcliff psychiatric clinic. Journalist Lana Winters investigates mistreatment while meeting Kit, a man accused of serial murders who claims aliens abducted him and his wife Alma. Ex-Nazi Dr. Arden performs horrific experiments on patients while Sister Jude, played by Lange, enforces strict rule. Overseeing psychiatrist Oliver Thredson, played by Zachary Quinto, is secretly the killer Bloody Face, while a devil possesses one of the nuns.
Season three, Coven, set nearly 300 years after the Salem witch trials, follows young Zoe, played by Farmiga, at a New Orleans witch academy. She trains alongside Madison, clear-sighted Nan, played by Jamie Brewer, and voodoo witch Queenie. After Madison accidentally kills fraternity boy Kyle, the students resurrect him using black magic, leaving him volatile. Meanwhile, cancer-stricken Supreme Witch Fiona Goode, played by Lange, fears a rising successor among her students.
Middle Seasons Overview
Season four, Freak Show, set in 1952 Florida, centers on a struggling traveling show led by former cabaret star Elsa Mars, played by Lange. The troupe includes bearded woman Ethel Darling, played by Kathy Bates, her lobster-clawed son Jimmy, played by Peters, strongman Dell Toledo, played by Michael Chiklis, and his three-breasted wife Desiree, played by Bassett. Elsa recruits conjoined twins Bette and Dot Tattler, played by Paulson, after they flee suspicion in their mother's death.
Season five, Hotel, follows the dark Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, run by the Countess, a blood-drinking vampire played by Lady Gaga. The hotel houses immortal residents including manager Iris, addict Sally, played by Paulson, and serial killer ghost James Patrick March. Detective John Lowe, played by Wes Bentley, checks into the hotel while investigating a series of gruesome murders.
Season six, Roanoke, uses a mockumentary format to tell the story of married couple Matt, played by André Holland, and Shelby, played by Paulson. After moving into an old North Carolina house, they experience harrowing events including colonist attacks and tooth rains. They discover their home occupies land where an entire English colony vanished in the late 16th century.
Season seven, Cult, set in 2016 suburban Detroit, focuses on progressive activist Ally Mayfair-Richards, played by Paulson. Donald Trump's election victory triggers her dormant phobias of clowns, blood, and cluster holes, leading her to believe a clown gang targets her family. Meanwhile, Trump supporter Kai Anderson, played by Peters, recruits followers into a political cult.
Later Seasons and Double Feature
Season eight, Apocalypse, portrays a near-future United States destroyed by nuclear war. Survivors live in underground bunkers managed by Wilhemina Venable, played by Paulson, and Miriam Mead, played by Bates. Antichrist Michael Langdon, played by Cody Fern, arrives to select survivors for transfer to a sanctuary.
Season nine, 1984, follows Los Angeles friends Brooke, Montana, Xavier, played by Fern, Ray, played by DeRon Horton, and Chet, played by Gus Kenworthy, working at Camp Redwood. Massacre survivor Margaret Booth, played by Leslie Grossman, manages the camp as escaped killer Mr. Jingles, played by John Carroll Lynch, returns to slaughter counselors.
Season 10, Double Feature, split into two storylines. In the first, screenwriter Harry Gardner, played by Finn Wittrock, moves to Provincetown, Massachusetts, with his pregnant wife Doris, played by Lily Rabe, and daughter Alma, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Local artists offer him a talent-unlocking pill that requires human blood. In the second part, college students discover that 34th US President Dwight Eisenhower, played by Neal McDonough, signed a secret pact with aliens.
Season 11, NYC, set in 1980s New York, follows detective Patrick Read, played by Russell Tovey, and journalist Gino Barelli, played by Joe Mantello, investigating murders targeting minorities. Meanwhile, Dr. Hannah Wells, played by Lourd, investigates a mysterious virus spreading from Fire Island deer to humans.
Season 12, Delicate, centers on actress Anna Victoria Alcott, played by Roberts, who conceives through IVF after multiple failures. Stalked by mysterious figures and noticing altered schedules, she suspects an evil entity opposes her pregnancy, while her husband Dexter, played by Matt Czuchry, dismisses her fears as stress.
Behind the Scenes and Awards
American Horror Story has earned two Emmy Awards. Lange won the series' first Emmy in 2012 for her portrayal of neighbor Constance Langdon in season one. Lady Gaga won the second Emmy in 2016 for her role as the vampire Countess in season five.
Lange initially stepped away from the franchise after starring in five seasons. In February 2025, she told reporters she had not appeared on the show in over a decade and would not return even if season 13 were the finale. By October 2025, however, news confirmed she had agreed to return for the crossover.
Co-creators Murphy and Falchak previously collaborated on series including Glee, Nip/Tuck, and Scream Queens. Murphy also co-created the horror anthology Monsters with Glee collaborator Ian Brennan.
Stars Roberts and Peters began dating off-screen while portraying a couple in season four during 2014 and 2015. Their relationship included a high-profile incident in Montreal, Canada, where police arrested Roberts following a hotel dispute witnessed by neighbors. The pair experienced an on-and-off relationship before permanently separating in 2019.
