Ryan Murphy

American Horror Story got plenty of road to reinvent itself with an additional two-season renewal, but don’t expect any major shakeups in Season 7. Not only are series staples Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters confirmed to return, but producers promise yet another mystery theme (ugh) for Season 7.

We’ve barely begun the rigmarole of American Horror Story teasing its seventh season, but it’ll be time yet before Ryan Murphy beings his flagship anthology franchise to a close. FX has officially picked up an additional two seasons of American Horror Story, likely taking us through at least 2019. Just like our real-life American horror story!

American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy already promised that Season 7 wouldn’t employ the same closely-guarded mystery theme that made Roanoke rough going at first, but that isn’t going to preclude some fun in the meantime. A cryptic new tease from American Horror Story social media could be putting us out to sea for the show’s seventh year.

Asked to recall the most endearing pair of The People v. O.J. Simpson, what would you say? Certainly not John Travolta and Courtney B. Vance, or David Schwimmer and a glass of juice, but Sarah Paulson and Sterling K. Brown’s Marcia Clark and Chris Darden. Ryan Murphy may yet get those two crazy kids together, as Brown is reportedly in for the second, Katrina-focused season.

If you thought perhaps Lady Gaga had the short end of the stick sculpture in American Horror Story Season 6, Ryan Murphy might make up for it in a big way. Reports claim that Gaga will take a major role in the third (yes, third) season of American Crime Story, portraying Donatella Versace herself.

We’re practically scholars when it comes to the art of American Horror Story drawing connections between seasons, but it seems Ryan Murphy intends to draw one big line himself. The enigmatic showrunner teases that a full crossover season between Season 1's Murder House and Season 3's Coven is coming, featuring actors from both years.

American Horror Story Season 6 may not have built up its premise going in, but the first five episodes made a solid case for exploring Roanoke’s meta-twist further. That is, until Season 6 pivoted into an even more fourth-wall breaking format, of which Ryan Murphy now explains “we realized … there were no stakes.”

Half the fun of FX’s The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story lay in catching up with the real-life figures depicted in the series, a majority of which had positive feedback. That may not be the case for the announced third season, as the Versace organization dismisses Ryan Murphy’s take on the assassination of its founder as “a work of fiction.”

FX has barely scratched the surface of its Katrina-centric second season of American Crime Story, and is already planning a third to rake in the Emmys. The network has officially renewed Ryan Murphy’s other anthology for Season 3, plotting to chronicle the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.

Whether or not American Horror Story hurt Season 6 ratings with the decision to keep Roanoke entirely under wraps, fans are at least curious to see how the current run changes things up in the coming episodes. Ryan Murphy himself now teases some major Coven and Freak Show connections ahead, while promising a more opaque approach to Season 7.