FX’s American Horror Story is officially returning for its 13th season, and this time it’s getting “a little more Wicked.” Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are bringing back some of the most iconic stars from the anthology horror series, as global pop sensation and actress Ariana Grande joins the ensemble cast.
The news was shared on 31 October via Ryan Murphy Productions’ Instagram account. The teaser was a spine-chilling black screen to the tune of Vera Lynn’s I’ll Be Seeing You, introducing the names of the cast in the show’s font, playing through eerie, flickering imagery. It ended with the chilling words: “AHS 13. Surprise, bitch. I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me.”
Ariana Grande, who will next appear in Wicked: For Good, is the only new addition to the core cast. But this is far from her first project with Murphy and Falchuk – she previously starred in the latter’s 2015 horror-comedy series Scream Queens. Meanwhile, the returning veterans include AHS stars Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, and Leslie Grossman.
The return comes after a three-year hiatus and will premiere on FX in October 2026, just in time for the Halloween season. Its last outing, AHS: Delicate, starring Emma Roberts, Kim Kardashian, and Cara Delevingne, aired in 2023–2024.
The most excitement centers around Jessica Lange’s long-awaited return, her first since Apocalypse in 2018. Several other original cast members who have not appeared since the prior season are also confirmed to return, and there are rumors that Season 13 may revisit characters or storylines from Coven, the show’s third and arguably most popular season.
With its stellar cast and hints of nostalgia, American Horror Story: Season 13 promises a dark, magical return to the roots of the horror anthology phenomenon.
