ShortList is supported by you, our amazing readers. When you click through the links on our site and make a purchase we may earn a commission. Learn more

The new series of 'American Horror Story' is a Coven/Murder House crossover

What happens to the people that were in both though, eh?

The new series of 'American Horror Story' is a Coven/Murder House crossover
15 June 2018

Every time someone says they watch American Horror Story, it’s fun to say “You mean… THE NEWS!?!??!?” and get high-fived by strangers. 

But it is, of course, colossal, and amazingly has its eighth - EIGHTH - season approaching. They’ve done seven self-contained seasons of messed-upness, coming back every year with a whole new story and mostly new cast.

Two years ago, when it was renewed for seasons eight and nine, creator and showrunner Ryan Murphy had teased the idea that season nine would be a crossover of two earlier seasons - season one’s Murder House storyline and season three’s Coven.

However, yesterday he revealed that they’d had a rethink, and season eight will in fact be the crossover. He had suggested before that the upcoming season would feature the return of a lot of fan-favourite characters, and this explains it.

IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: Why doesn’t Ryan Murphy have a Twitter picture?

Murder House, set in LA in 2011, followed a couple who move into a house and discover it is haunted by everyone that ever died there - and quite a few people died there. Coven followed the descendants of the witches involved in the Salem witch trials in the world of 2013, and their rivalry with New Orleans’ voodoo practitioners.

What isn’t immediately clear is how the season will deal with the cast members who appeared in both seasons playing different parts. While Murphy has brought new cast members in with every season, a few actors have been in all of them. Sarah Paulson, currently on the big screen in Ocean’s 8, has played a different role in each storyline, as has Evan Peters (also known for stealing the show in both his X-Men films as Quicksilver). Jamie Brewer also appeared in both Murder House and Coven.

Other cast member from previous seasons said to be returning include Kathy Bates, Billie Lourd, Cheyenne Jackson, Adina Porter, Leslie Grossman and Billy Eichner. Also supposedly showing up is the one and only Joan flippin’ Collins.



American Horror Story season eight will be out in September, supposedly, which seems pretty impressive considering filming only starts tomorrow. 

(Images: 20th Century Fox)