American Horror Story will not be going back in time for Season 7.

“It’s a modern-day story,” Ryan Murphy revealed to reporters Thursday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, adding that AHS vets Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters are the first two cast members to officially sign on.

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Regarding the level of secrecy the new season will be shrouded in, Murphy — echoing comments he made last fall — said he’s inclined not to do another stealth reveal a Season 6’s Roanoke-themed outing. “I don’t know that we’d do that again,” he said. “I think maybe we would release [some hints] of it earlier. I just started writing it. I haven’t decided how to do it yet.”

Murphy previously said that Season 7 would involve several Freak Show characters.

Earlier at TCA, FX Network CEO John Landgraf said of the new AHS season: “Ryan has another really innovative idea to do something fresh and different. There’s a marketing and promotional hook around that.”

TVLine then asked Landgraf if — having now renewed Horror Story for a total of three additional seasons — he has heard from Murphy ideas for Seasons 8 and 9. Or was the move purely based off good ratings/good will?

“We know explicitly what next season is about; we don’t know what the eighth and ninth season are about. So yes, we’re extending [the renewal] out of trust and good will,” Landgraf said. “I honestly couldn’t tell you what Season 8 or 9 will be, but I can tell you I’m really excited about Season 7. Also, Ryan made a commitment that he would continue to run that show.”