'American Horror Story' Invites Gaga to Return for Season 6

American Horror Story will begin its fifth chapter this coming Wednesday (early review forthcoming!), its first without Jessica Lange at the center, and pop icon Lady Gaga stepping in to run the Hotel in her place. That said, one has to wonder if a potential AHS Season 6 would land us right back in the search for a new female lead, though creator Ryan Murphy seems to have gone Gaga, through and through. Oh, and confirmed Season 6, while he’s at it.

In an intriguing move, that could have a hilarious ending, were it not likely a planned stunt, Murphy appears to have formally propositioned Gaga to keep on with the as-yet-unordered American Horror Story Season 6, owing to the strength of her Hotel performance. Foregone conclusion though it might have been, Murphy’s words also appear to confirm a sixth season of American Horror Story, which hadn’t *officially* made any renewal public:

For now at least, Gaga has yet to respond, though one imagines Murphy wouldn’t have publicized the sentiment without some foreknowledge of the pop star’s intent to accept the invitation. Still, the TV landscape as-is frequently attracts otherwise-busy megastars to work for a single season (see: True Detective), which at least raises the question how long Lady Gaga might prove willing to commit to American Horror Story, size of the role depending.

Debuting on October 7, so reads the American Horror Story: Hotel premiere synopsis:

“Checking In”
Detective and family man John Lowe investigates a chain of gruesome murders in Los Angeles. A mysterious tip points him to the enigmatic Hotel Cortez.
Written by Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk; directed by Ryan Murphy.

Elsewhere, the Hotel cast includes Max Greenfield, Cheyenne Jackson and Lady Gaga, returning Coven alum Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Asylum star Chloe Sevigny, Freak Show guests Finn Wittrock, Matt Bomer and Wes Bentley, and franchise regulars Lily Rabe, Denis O’Hare, Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson. FX boss John Landgraf described American Horror Story Season 5 as an “unusually large reinvention” of the series, while Jessica Lange remains open to appearances in future seasons.