It looks like series creator Ryan Murphy was not kidding when he said that the upcoming fifth season of “American Horror Story” will be quite explosive despite the show’s former lead actress and fan-favorite Jessica Lange departing the series last season. Season 5 will carry the official title “American Horror Story: Hotel.”
Rumor has it that Murphy, who is also working on “Scream Queens” right now, has tapped the newest Jenner to star in his horror anthology in Season 5 premiering in October. Speaking to Hollywood Life, Murphy admits that he is a self-confessed fan of Caitlyn Jenner from the moment her controversial Vanity Fair issue came out.
Die-hard fans have also noticed the striking resemblance between the former athlete and Jessica Lange, which gives Murphy and series co-creator Brad Falchuk a no-brainer for a replacement. Murphy sees the comparison very positively. He is thinking of putting Caitlyn Jenner in the series even for a cameo role at first if she is available. The long-term proposal would be to make her a star of the show.
But if Jenner would say yes to star in the series, this would be her first portrayal on a TV show ever. It is worth noting however that her former persona, Bruce Jenner, had already starred in the reality show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
The FX network announced that the series would return with 13 episodes for its fifth season. During the 2015 Paleyfest, pop singer Lady Gaga was confirmed to be joining the upcoming season of the series along with actors Matt Bomer and Cheyenne Jackson. If ever, it will be the 29-year-old singer’s first foray into television acting.
It was also during the 2015 Paleyfest that the showrunners announced that Ms. Lange has decided to leave the show after four seasons. The 66-year-old veteran actress has critical acclaim as well as multiple awards for her portrayal as the overprotective matriarch Constance Langdon in the TV series.
In an interview with Deadline, Lange talks about how her role was meant to last for only one season, but she got hooked on the show that’s why she stayed. In the end, Lange believes that the show will still be a hit despite her absence.
Speaking to Deadline, Murphy also disclosed the possible return of Max Greenfield and Kathy Bates for Season 5. Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters will also return, but no longer the good ones in the past seasons but as villains. Murphy also confirmed that after the initial filming of rookie show “Scream Queens,” Emma Roberts said that she would return for a couple of episodes in “American Horror Story” towards the end of the season. He also hinted of the possibility of Jessica Lange coming back in the future as a guest star.
The latest edition to the horror anthology series will revolve around eerie and horrific things that happen in hotels. In a report from Deadline, Murphy explained that the theme of the show for Season 5 is something that’s very close to his heart. He adds that it was always an idea that he had in mind before but he wanted to incorporate it a bloodier and grimmer version to the “American Horror Story.” Murphy said that they will be building a six-storey Art Deco hotel in the Fox lot specifically for the series.
Micheal Goi, the show’s director of photography, confirms Murphy’s hint of the show in answering a query on Twitter. He said that “American Horror Story: Hotel” is going to have a darker tone compared to previous seasons. Show veteran Angela Bassett admits she had to read the first three episodes during day time because she is scared to do so at night.
Casting for the season is almost finished and production is set to start this month in Los Angeles. But before they start rolling the cameras, the cast will be flying to San Diego, California to be at the joint panel with “Scream Queens” cast members at the ComicCon 2015 event.
Details about the season’s major plots have been kept under wraps so far. The ComicCon 2015 gig will thus be a great opportunity for the fans to find out more details for the upcoming season from the cast and show producers themselves.