American Horror Story: 13
Thirteenth season of American Horror Story
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The thirteenth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled 13, takes place primarily in New York City, and follows Ben DeSoto (portrayed by Joey Pollari), a hospice caretaker suffering from triskaidekaphobia, who takes a strange job at The Apollyon, an eerie residential building inhabited by characters from seasons past. The season also features the return of regular actors Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman, Frances Conroy, Jamie Brewer, John Carroll Lynch, Mena Suvari, Mat Fraser and Jessica Lange.
| American Horror Story: 13 | |
|---|---|
| Season 13 | |
Promotional poster | |
| Showrunner | Ryan Murphy |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Release | |
| Original network | FX |
| Original release | September 24, 2026 – present |
| Season chronology | |
Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX, the series is produced by 20th Television. The season began filming on April 6, 2026, and concluded on July 27; the subtitle was announced the day after filming finished. 13 premiered on September 24, 2026, and is expected to run until October 29, consisting of thirteen episodes released in mostly either pairs or trios.
Cast and characters
Main
- Sarah Paulson as:[1]
- Cordelia Goode, the Supreme of the witch Coven, reprising her role from Coven and Apocalypse
- Sally McKenna, a ghost junkie residing at the Hotel Cortez, reprising her role from Hotel
- Ms. Wilhemina Venable, a tyrannical matriarch, reprising her role from Apocalypse
- Karen, a homeless artist with tuberculosis, from Provincetown, Massachusetts, reprising her role from Red Tide
- Mamie Eisenhower, a former First Lady of the United States, reprising her role from Death Valley
- Evan Peters as:[2]
- Tate Langdon, a teenage ghost, reprising his role from Murder House
- James Patrick March, a serial killer ghost residing at the Hotel Cortez, reprising his role from Hotel
- Kai Anderson, a cult leader, reprising his role from Cult
- Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau, a Louisiana Voodoo queen, reprising her role from Coven and Apocalypse[3]
- Kathy Bates as Delphine LaLaurie, a socialite from New Orleans, reprising her role from Coven and Apocalypse[4]
- Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery, a witch, reprising her role from Coven and Apocalypse[3]
- Billie Lourd as:[4]
- Mallory, a witch, reprising her role from Apocalypse
- Winter Anderson, Kai's sister, reprising her role from Cult
- Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie, a witch, reprising her role from Coven, Hotel and Apocalypse[2]
- Leslie Grossman as Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt, a witch, reprising her role from Apocalypse[2]
- Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow, a witch, reprising her role from Coven and Apocalypse[5]
- Joey Pollari as Ben DeSoto, a hospice caretaker with triskaidekaphobia[1]
- Jessica Lange as:[6]
- Constance Langdon, Tate's mother, reprising her role from Murder House and Apocalypse
- Sister Jude Martin, a Briarcliff patient and former head nun in charge, reprising her role from Asylum
- Fiona Goode, the former Supreme of the witch Coven, reprising her role from Coven
- Elsa Mars, a manager of a freak show, reprising her role from Freak Show
Recurring or guest
- John Waters as Mr. Phibes[1]
- Madelaine Petsch as Kira, Ben's girlfriend[1]
- John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown, a disgraced clown and a serial killer, reprising his role from Freak Show and Cult[7]
- Mena Suvari as Elizabeth Short, a ghost of an aspiring actress, reprising her role from Murder House and Apocalypse[7]
- Berto Colón as Joe the Doorman[7]
- Avantika as Ophelia, a young advanced witch[5]
- Jamie Brewer as:[1]
- Adelaide Langdon, Constance's daughter, reprising her role from Murder House
- Nan, a witch, reprising her role from Coven and Apocalypse
- Elle Chapman[8]
- Tig Notaro as Ricochet, a clown school teacher[8]
- Fedor Steer as Mr. Nas, an elderly gentleman being cared for by Constance and Ben[8]
Future cast
- Alex Consani as Morwenna[1]
- Paul Anthony Kelly as Young Nas[1]
- Seth Gabel as Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer, reprising his role from Hotel[4]
- Orlando Jones as Papa Legba, a gatekeeper of the spirit world; Jones replaces Lance Reddick, who portrayed Papa Legba in Coven and Apocalypse[4]
- Zach Villa as Richard Ramirez, a serial killer, reprising his role from 1984[4]
- Mat Fraser as Paul the Illustrated Seal, a freak show member with phocomelia, reprising his role from Freak Show[7]
- Grace Dumdaw[5]
- Cara Delevingne[9]
- Charlie Carver[9]
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [10] | Directed by | Written by [11] | Original release date [10] | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 133 | 1 | "13" | Ryan Murphy | Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk | September 24, 2026 | DATS01 | TBD |
| 134 | 2 | "1:13 AM" | Crystle Roberson Dorsey | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver | September 24, 2026 | DATS02 | TBD |
| 135 | 3 | "Rauhnacht" | Crystle Roberson Dorsey | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver | September 24, 2026 | DATS03 | TBD |
| 136 | 4 | "Is That All There Is?"[12] | Alfonso Gomez-Rejon | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver | October 1, 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 137 | 5 | "Date Night"[13] | Jesse Peretz | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver | October 1, 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 138 | 6 | "The Return of Devil's Night"[14] | Crystle Roberson Dorsey | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver | October 1, 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 139 | 7 | "The Baddest Witch of Them All"[15] | Alfonso Gomez-Rejon | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver | October 8, 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 140 | 8 | "Hell No"[16] | Crystle Roberson Dorsey | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver | October 8, 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 141 | 9 | "The Devil Is in the Details"[17] | Adam Penn | Ryan Murphy & Ned Martel & Charlie Carver | October 15, 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 142 | 10 | "The Prodigal Son"[18] | Gillian Robespierre | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver & Brad Falchuk | October 15, 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 143 | 11 | "Madison's Happy Ending"[19] | Adam Penn | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver & Ryan Murphy | October 22, 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 144 | 12 | "Sisters in Arms"[20] | Gillian Robespierre | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver | October 22, 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 145 | 13 | TBA | TBA | Ned Martel & Charlie Carver & Brad Falchuk | October 29, 2026 | TBA | TBD |
Production
Background and theme
On January 9, 2020, American Horror Story was renewed for up to a thirteenth season.[21] On December 5, 2018, Ryan Murphy said the witches from Coven would return in a future season.[22][23][24] On July 28, 2026, Murphy announced in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that the season, officially titled 13, would consist of 13 episodes, and while the season would revisit Coven, it was an Avengers-style crossover between "all the seasons". He added that he spent years writing it.[25] In August 2026, he revealed he would direct an episode, for the first time since "Checking In" (2015).[26] In September 2026, he said that the crossover with Scream Queens was planned to be included in the season, but it was scrapped after the departure of Ariana Grande, who was supposed to reprise her role as Chanel #2.[27]
The theme of the number 13 was announced alongside the title. Though the season was originally teased as a Coven sequel, similar to Apocalypse, it was later clarified that the primary focus is on the number 13 itself (the number of the season), which serves a distinct role in the horror genre due to the superstition around the number as associated with bad luck. The show's official FX page for the season reads: "FX's American Horror Story ... returns for an unrivaled 13th installment that will do justice to everyone's most feared number. ... Which iconic horrors will return to haunt the hallowed halls of 13 and what new terrors await? Light your candles, draw your pentagrams and prepare for a supreme surprise."[28]
Casting
In February 2025, Jessica Lange, who starred in the first four seasons and briefly appeared in the eight season in 2018,[25] answered a question about her potential return for the thirteenth season: "Oh Christ, no. I mean, I haven't done it for more than 10 years, 12 years, so, no, I'm not doing it."[29] Murphy revealed that Lange was the first person he turned to about the return and she agreed under the condition she would have a musical number. Subsequently, he turned to Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, who agreed instantly.[26] They both last appeared in the tenth season in 2021.[30]
In October 2025, Lange, Paulson, Peters, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Leslie Grossman, Jessica Lange, and Gabourey Sidibe were all confirmed to return for the thirteenth season, along with the newcomer Ariana Grande. Bates, Bassett and Sibide last appeared in the eight season in 2018.[30] Bates revealed that she would have only one day of filming.[4] In February 2026, John Waters joined the cast,[31] while Joey Pollari joined in April,[32] and Alex Consani, Paul Anthony Kelly joined in May.[33][34] John Carroll Lynch and Matt Fraser were also confirmed to reprise their roles from Freak Show, with Mena Suvari and Berto Colón also joining the cast.[7] In July, Frances Conroy was confirmed to reprise her role from Coven, with Avantika, Grace Dumdaw, Cara Delevingne, and Charlie Carver also joining the cast.[5][9] In July 2026, it was reported that Grande dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with the season's production schedule and her Eternal Sunshine Tour.[35][36] In August, Jamie Brewer, Elle Chapman, Seth Gabel, Orlando Jones, Tig Notaro, Madelaine Petsch Fedor Steer, and Zach Villa were confirmed as part of the cast.[26][8]
Murphy revealed that Paulson was set to play six to seven roles, while Peters was set to play five characters.[25] Lange reprised all four of her characters from the first four seasons, along with a fifth undisclosed character, and confirmed having a musical number as one of her characters.[6]
Filming
The season began filming in April 2026.[37] In July 2026, the cast was spotted filming in SoHo, Manhattan.[9] Filming concluded on July 27, 2026.[38]
Release and marketing
American Horror Story: 13 premiered at the Hotel Chelsea in New York City on September 23, 2026.[39] It premiered on FX on September 24, 2026. The first and second week both feature three episodes a week, followed by two episodes weekly, up until the season finale on October 29.[40] It will also be available on Hulu in the United States and stream internationally on Disney+.[41]
In July 2026, the season's promotional themed ice cream trucks were installed at the San Diego Comic-Con.[41] On August 12, 2026, Vogue published the first production stills.[26] On the next day, the first trailer was released.[8] The second trailer was released on September 10, 2026.[40]
Reception
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queerties Awards | March 10, 2026 | Next Big Thing | American Horror Story season 13 | Nominated | [42][43] |
