American Horror Story fans have been given precious little to go on this year, which has them anticipating basically any details about the anthology’s latest installment. All but one of the many teasers for Season 6 are red herrings, FX has revealed, and Ryan Murphy is keeping his lips tightly sealed when it comes to the season’s theme. But on Monday, Murphy gave fans something even more exciting than the upcoming premiere: the promise that their beloved franchise could last for a very long time.

In explaining the decision to play Season 6 close to the chest, Murphy dished a new detail that’s probably common knowledge behind the scenes, but hadn’t really been explicitly stated before: he and FX plan to keep this gory gravy train rolling for as long as possible.

In keeping the theme a secret, Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter, “We wanted to [create a] different experience for the fans this year. But that doesn't mean we'll do that for season seven or even season eight.”

When pressed to clarify the plan for future seasons, and how all of the stories from different seasons will eventually link up, Murphy added that, as promised, this story will continue what Seasons 4 and 5 started, weaving the various seasons’ narratives together.

“You’ll see it this season, and then you’ll really see it after this season,” Murphy said. “We lay a lot of pipe, and you’ll see it explode in seasons seven and eight.”

Murphy clarified that, no, the series has not been officially renewed for further seasons yet—but, as its rabid fanbase might guess, it also doesn’t seem to be in danger of cancellation. Murphy added that he and FX boss John Landgraf “always talk at the end of the year and decide how many [seasons] we want to do. But John has always said, and I have always agreed, that this is a show that could be like The Twilight Zone and run for multiple, multiple seasons and have its own inner mythology. So that’s how we’re approaching it.”

In terms of seasons, American Horror Story has actually already outlasted The Twilight Zone. (The original paranormal mystery series aired on CBS for five seasons between 1959 and 1964.) But its seasons were much longer than those of A.H.S., so the series totaled 156 episodes before it wrapped; A.H.S. still has a long way to go before it hits that benchmark.

Murphy also assured T.H.R. that he has a roadmap in mind for where future seasons are headed, and promised that the new seasons will keep coming “for as long as we have ideas and the momentum. I really love doing it.”

American Horror Story Season 6 premieres September 14.