'American Horror Story' Season 8: Theme, Release Date, Cast, Trailer And Everything You Need To Know

By Katie Louise-Smith

It's official - 'American Horror Story: Apocalypse' will be the long-awaited Murder House/Coven crossover season. From the trailers to the cast (including Jessica Lange), here's everything you need to know about season 8 of AHS.

It's happening! American Horror Story's eighth season, which will be the long awaited Murder House/Coven crossover, is days away from dropping into our laps and the wait is almost unbearable. The theme for this season will be Apocalypse and so far, we've seen multiple trailers have been released that depict nuclear blasts, people wearing gas masks and even the ominous hand of the anti-Christ.

AHS: Apocalypse will be released on FX on Wednesday September 12th 2018 and the cast for the new season is already the best and most prolific cast AHS has ever seen. Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Kathy Bates will be at the helm of the show with current AHS cast members Billie Lourd, Billy Eichner, Leslie Grossman, Cheyenne Jackson, Adina Porter returning alongside newcomers Dame Joan Collins, Cody Fern and Billy Porter.

Previous Coven cast members including Emma Roberts, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy, Taissa Farmiga, Gabourey Sidibe and Stevie Nicks will also be returning to the show in addition to Jessica Lange who will finally return to the series after 3 seasons away.

Here's all the latest news about the new season:

- TATE LANGDON IS BACK, BABY!!!!! After 6 loooong seasons, Evan Peters is reprising his role as the iconic Tate from Murder House. Ryan Murphy shared a first look at Evan back in character on the set.

SOURCE: Ryan Murphy via Instagram

- Taissa Farmiga will be reprising both her roles from Murder House and Coven so you can expect to see Violet Harmon and Zoe Benson back in business.

- Dylan McDermott has been spotted on set, fuelling rumours that he's set to reprise the role of Ben Harmon from Murder House. It's also been reported that Connie Britton will be joining the cast and will shoot scenes at the Murder House mansion very soon.

Dylan McDermott on the set of #AHSApocalypse pic.twitter.com/tYheGebbQj — AHS LEAKS (@ahsleak) August 23, 2018

- It's been confirmed that Lange will be returning after several seasons away to reprise her role of Constance Langdon, the sinister matriarch-next-door from Murder House. The episode she appears in will be directed by Sarah Paulson.

- Sarah Paulson will be playing multiple characters in the new season. She will be bringing both Cordelia and Billie Dean Howard back to the new season along with a new character called Venable.

- Sadly, the iconic Angela Bassett, who played Marie Laveau in Coven, will not be returning for the eighth season. When asked if she was returning to the crossover season during an interview in Paris, she said: "No, I can not be in American Horror Story, because I'm in 9-1-1. I'm not available for the new season but I would have liked because it's a great series that fans love."

- Evan Peters has been spotted on the set in full costume and he's dyed his hair AGAIN. New colour for every season, Evan?

Evan Peters was spotted in costume on the set of #AHS season 8 - check out new pics! https://t.co/I6UxLuQerW — JustJared.com (@JustJared) July 12, 2018

As for the rest? From the confirmed cast members and the details of the crossover theme to the time period, trailers and release date, here's everything you need to know about AHS: Apocalypse.

FX

What will the American Horror Story season 8 theme be?

The theme has now been confirmed AHS: Apocalypse and it will be the long awaited Murder House/Coven crossover season.

The announcement that this season will be the crossover has come as a shock to fans who believed it wasn't happening until 2019 due to scheduling with some of the actors from the past seasons. Before it was announced, fans were under the impression that this season would have some sort of 'Radioactive' theme after a trademark filed by FOX was discovered online. With the announcement of the 'Apocalypse' title, the radioactive theories could still come true.

It's been confirmed that the show will take place in the "future". But speaking at an FYC event, show runner Ryan Murphy later revealed the time period for the new season and it's not as far in the future as we all thought it would be. The season will be taking place a mere 18 months from now. He urged the audience at the event to look up what would be taking place in 18 months in October 2019. (SPOILER: It's something about President Kennedy and nuclear bunkers. Figures.)

Murphy has also stated that the audience will get to see the character and storyline connections "explode in seasons seven and eight," linking everything together in much more intricate way. We saw almost no connections to other seasons in AHS: Cult but judging by the cast for Apocalypse, this might actually come true.

The tone of season eight will also be a call back to the fantasy vibes of Asylum and Coven rather than the sinister realism of Cult and Roanoke. “It’s heightened,” he said of the crossover season. “It’s not necessarily as real and grounded as the past season. We’re sort of getting back to Asylum, and Coven. That’s the tone of it.”

FX



When will American Horror Story season eight be released?

American Horror Story will return to FX on Wednesday September 12, 2018.

Who else will be in the American Horror Story season 8 cast?

The cast for AHS: Cult was VERY different to the classic roster for AHS. There's been a handful of big names that were noticeably absent from previous seasons and a bunch of new faces that we've now come to know and love but who will be returning?

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Murphy said "You will see so many fan favourites return that you’ll feel like it’s The Love Boat. It’s a very high concept."

Here's a list of everyone who has been confirmed so far:

Jessica Lange, who will be reprising her role as Constance Langdon.

Sarah Paulson, who will be bringing back Cordelia Foxx, Billie Dean Howard and a new character called Venable.

Kathy Bates, who will play Ms. Meade.

Evan Peters, who will be playing a gay hairdresser AND reprising his role of Tate Langdon.

Dame Joan Collins, who will be playing the grandmother of Peters' character.

Billy Eichner

Leslie Grossman, who will be playing Coco Saint Pierre Vanderbilt.

Adina Porter, who will be playing Dinah Stevens.

Cheyenne Jackson

Billie Lourd, who will be playing Mallory.

Billy Porter

Cody Fern, who will play the grown up version of Murder House's Michael Langdon.

Emma Roberts, who will bring Madison Montgomery back to life.

Taissa Farmiga, who will reprise the role of Zoe Benson and Violet Harmon.

Frances Conroy, who will bring Myrtle Snow back to the Coven.

Lily Rabe, who'll return as Misty Day.

Gabourey Sidibe, who'll bring Queenie back from the dead.

Stevie Nicks, who will play herself.

Dylan McDermott has been spotted on set while the cast film at the infamous Murder House. Murphy has also revealed that he has asked Connie Britton to reprise her role of Vivien Harmon from Murder House too, but nothing has been confirmed and she hasn't been seen on set... yet.

Murphy is also actively trying to get Anjelica Huston to join the cast. When asked if he would be adding Huston to the cast of season 8, Murphy said, “(we’re) talking. I love her.” Houston famously played a witch in The Witches, so that would make for an ICONIC reference should she appear as a member of the Coven.

Angela Bassett will not be returning for Apocalypse due to her schedule on Ryan Murphy's other show, 9-1-1.

Lady Gaga could possibly make an appearance as the original Supreme Scathach as seen in Roanoke but her two-year Vegas residency might prevent her from being available for filming.

What will happen in the season?

AHS: Apocalypse will begin with the end of the world before diving into a brand new post-apocalyptic world. Murphy and co-creator Brad Falchuk have, however, teased what's to come: "It’s a season unlike anything we’ve done because there’s a big hook to it. There’s a huge thing that happens in episode five."

Murphy confirmed the crossover season before Cult was even announced in 2016. At the time, he said in an an interview with Entertainment Weekly: "It's a character from Season 1 that will be thrust into the world that you are left with at the end of Coven, which is sort of like the male/female/witch academy."

Is there a trailer for American Horror Story season 8 yet?

Yes! A the first full trailer dropped on September 5th and gave us all a glimpse of Sarah Paulson's twisted underground bunker. After a nuclear blast wipes out most of the country (we assume??) Paulson's Venable brings survivors into her concrete luxury bunker. The Coven soon arrives, as well as the anti-Christ himself, Michael Langdon.

Several teaser trailers have also dropped for the season, all featuring imagery of the anti-Christ, nuclear blasts and people wearing gas masks. Another shorter trailer was also released days before the official trailer showing the Coven in their full glory as well as a glimpse at Evan Peters' brand new character.