A good chunk of the “American Horror Story: Apocalypse” cast revealed the names of their characters for the upcoming eighth season during the show’s panel at the Television Critics Association press tour Friday. And while that might seem like a tiny detail to give up, it’s actually a huge indicator of where the season is headed, seeing as the next installment is the “Murder House”-“Coven” crossover, which means some of the returning actors have multiple roles they could play.
Although they weren’t allowed to divulge much — other than telling TheWrap that Jessica Lange is coming back — creator Ryan Murphy allowed his cast to spill just a few beans. Like:
“Cult” star Leslie Grossman said she’s going to be taking on new character Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt. Billie Lourd revealed she’s playing Mallory — “just Mallory.” Adina Porter (who just received an Emmy nod for Season 7 aka “Cult”) will be Dinah Stevens. Emma Roberts confirmed she’s coming back from the dead as her “Coven” character, Madison Montgomery. Kathy Bates is playing brand new persona Miss Meade (so no resurrection for her “Coven” alter ego).
And longtime franchise star Sarah Paulson (also Emmy nominated for her role in “Cult”) says she is playing three characters this season: Venable, Supreme witch Cordelia Goode (“Coven”) and psychic Billie Dean (“Murder House”).
Paulson told TheWrap during the panel that Lange will be returning for Season 8.
“I do have the great pleasure of letting you all know that, yes, she will be back,” Paulson told TheWrap. “Jessica will be returning as Constance in an episode I’m going to direct.”
Fans were hoping against hope that the franchise alum would be coming back for the crossover (following her exit after Season 4 aka “Freak Show”), as she had prominent roles in both Season 1 and 3, playing the creepy next door neighbor Constance Langdon in “Murder House” and former Supreme witch Fiona Goode in “Coven.”
The season is already in production, with Roberts teasing what it’s been like to play Madison once more (who was most certainly dead, as of the end of “Coven,” in case you didn’t remember).
“I actually was told by the director yesterday to be bitchier, which I did not think was possible,” Roberts said.
“AHS” has already been renewed for a 10th season, FX chief John Landgraf told TheWrap Friday. Yes, Season 10, because the Murphy series was previously renewed by FX for eight and nine at the same time.
The renewal comes as a bit of a surprise, amid Murphy’s upcoming move to Netflix in the wake of a giant $300 million overall deal with the streamer and his exit from the cable network’s sister studio 20th Century Fox.
“American Horror Story: Apocalypse” will star Paulson, Bates, Lourd, Roberts, Grossman, Porter, along with Evan Peters, Cody Fern, Cheyenne Jackson, Billy Eichner, Joan Collins and Lange, of course.
“American Horror Story: Apocalypse” will premiere Wednesday, September 12 at 10/9c on FX.