Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter that this season will be all about “highlighting people who don’t have a voice in our culture—people who are ignored by the current administration and who are afraid and feel terrorized that their lives are going to be taken away.”

The Cast

So far, we know that Sarah Paulson will return to play a character named Ally Mayfair-Richards, who is married to newcomer Alison Pill’s Ivy Mayfair-Richards. At the T.C.A. panel Wednesday, the two revealed more about their characters, including that they are married and living together. The panel did not reveal how A.H.S. vet Evan Peters will factor into the story; in July, Murphy posted a sketch of the actor’s character, Kai, next to Ally—with the caption “Ally and Kai in CULT...a love story for the ages.” All Paulson offered on the subject was, “I think it’s going to reveal itself in surprising ways.”

Other returning cast members include: Adina Porter, who made her Horror Story debut in Season 1 before returning for Season 6 and will play a broadcast journalist named Beverly Hope this time around; Cheyenne Jackson, who will play “Dr. Rudy Vincent”; and Frances Conroy, Mare Winningham, Chaz Bono, and Emma Roberts, whose roles have yet to be specified. It also seems likely that John Carroll Lynch, who played Twisty the Clown in Season 4 and John Wayne Gacy in Season 5, will reprise his Season 4 role, but he has yet to be officially confirmed.

As for the newcomers, there’s Billie Lourd, who plays Winter Anderson; Leslie Grossman, who plays Meadow Wilton; Billy Eichner as Harrison Wilton; Colton Haynes as Detective Samuels; and Lena Dunham, whose role remains unknown. At the T.C.A. panel, Lourd revealed that her character will be more emotional and “human” than her Scream Queens character. And then, there’s one more possibility: Cher. The musician and mother of Chaz Bono fired off a tweet in August that got fans abuzz:

The Theme

Obviously, we know this season will have something to do with cults. The panel confirmed that the season will use last year’s election as a catalyst, although executive producer Alexis Martin Woodall added, “When Ryan had to make the announcement originally that the season would deal with Trump. It’s not what you think it is. It’s a jumping off point. It’s an element on our launch point.” When pressed for further hints, she offered: “Bloody tension. A well-cooked meal. An exciting trip to a grocery store.”