Murphy: AHS Season 13 Combines All Seasons, Not Coven Sequel
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- Ryan Murphy debunked the 'Coven' sequel rumor at the premiere of his show 'The Shards,' telling Entertainment Tonight that Season 13 is 'all the seasons' combined — not a third-season spinoff as on-set witch photos had suggested.
- Sarah Paulson is playing six or seven roles in Season 13, with Evan Peters taking on five characters and Jessica Lange reprising all four of her iconic AHS roles, per Murphy.
- Murphy compared the ensemble to 'the Avengers' assembling 'to defeat the ultimate evil,' adding that many original cast members had 'said no' to returning over the years until he pitched this crossover concept.
- Season 13 will run for 13 episodes 'because it's called 13,' per Murphy, who said he spent 'many, many months and many years writing it' to mark the milestone in a 'special way.'
- Angela Bassett, Billie Lourd, Emma Roberts, and Kathy Bates are also returning, alongside new additions Paul Anthony Kelly, John Waters, and Joey Pollari.
- Ariana Grande, originally announced for the cast, dropped out earlier this month due to scheduling conflicts with her 'Eternal Sunshine' tour.
- AHS Season 13 premieres on FX and Hulu on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. PT.
Why it matters: For the first time in the franchise's 13-year run, Murphy is marshaling virtually the entire original AHS ensemble — including Lange, who has been the hardest to lure back — into a single meta-season event, betting that nostalgia for all prior seasons is a bigger draw than another standalone anthology. The '13 episodes for Season 13' framing and Murphy's Avengers comparison signal a deliberate tentpole moment for FX and Hulu ahead of the Sept. 24 launch.
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