Ryan Murphy may or may not have just announced an American Horror Story spin-off with Jessica Lange

Evan Peters and Jessica Lange in American Horror Story

An American Horror Story spin-off is on the way, with creator Ryan Murphy teasing a major cast reunion for a set of self-contained American Horror Stories.

Murphy shared what appeared to be a screenshot of a Zoom call with cast including Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe and Evan Peters.

“We reminisced about the good times…the spin off we’re doing called American Horror Stories (one hour contained episodes)…when we will start filming the next season of the mothership…and other stuff I cannot print,” he wrote on Instagram.

The same image was posted to an AHS fan page two days ago and was clearly labelled “a concept”, casting doubt on Murphy’s reunion claims.

But while the Zoom call is fake, it appears that Stories is legitimate.

TV insiders confirm American Horror Story spin-off.

The American Horror Story spin-off was confirmed by Deadlinewhich spoke to sources who described the series as “a companion anthology series to AHS where each episode is a standalone ghost story”.

Stories had “been getting a lot of momentum” just before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the TV industry in March, it added, and will air on FX.

The website didn’t have any details of the American Horror Stories spin-off cast. Were Lange to appear it would mark her second return to the series, after her major cameo in season eight, Apocalypse.

 

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“American Horror Story: Zoom Reunion” [A concept] ✨ If only this was real… ?? @mrrpmurphy @ahsfx

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AHS on pause with the rest of the TV industry.

Along with this potential spin-off, Murphy was also working on American Horror Story season 10 before the pandemic hit.

The queer TV supremo said this week that he isn’t sure when filming will commence on the new run, and revealed he might be forced to scrap his original theme for the season.

“Well I don’t know, because a lot of what I was going to shoot was dependent on a very specific moment, it was a weather-dependent show,” he told The Wrap.

“So now I don’t know. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

One option is to “accelerate another season”. Another is to simply delay until next year.

Murphy is renowned for juggling multiple projects, and with AHS renewed through season 13, it’s likely he’s got a few other ideas ready to roll.

The super producer recently dropped his latest project Hollywood on Netflix, a reimagining of the Golden Age of the movie industry starring an alternate, and proudly gay Rock Hudson.

The series was designed as a one-off, but Murphy and executive producer Janet Mock have teased a potential second season.

Murphy said the show “was planned as a limited series, but it’s become so popular that everyone is asking” for Hollywood season 2.