FX has been keeping our thirst for gruesome horror quenched this summer with The Strain, but the network’s real frightfest is kicking off in October with the premiere of American Horror Story: Freak Show, the sure-to-be terrifying fourth season of Ryan Murphy’s period anthology horror series. The past few weeks have seen a few tantalizing teasers for the season debut, but now FX is stepping up its game with an extended trailer revealing the appearances of many main characters.
Among the freaks glimpsed are Jessica Lange, playing a German ex-pat who runs the titular freak show; Sarah Paulson, as conjoined twins Bette and Dot; and Kathy Bates, as a bearded lady and mother to another freak (Evan Peters). Also in the cast this season are American Horror Story vets Emma Roberts, Angela Bassett, Frances Conroy and Gabourey Sidibe. Newcomers to the show include Michael Chiklis, Wes Bentley, Patti LaBelle, Finn Wittrock, Jyoti Amge and John Carroll Lynch.
Additionally, Matt Bomer (White Collar), who last worked with Murphy on the acclaimed HBO original movie The Normal Heart, has been tapped for a guest spot. No specifics on his part other than that, in Murphy’s own words, it will be extremely “warped.”
That first extended trailer is a thrilling and creepy look at what we can expect from American Horror Story: Freak Show when it opens its doors on October 8th – and before you ask, that eerie song is “Carousel,” by Melanie Martinez. You’re welcome.
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” – which kicks off on October 8th – begins its tale in the quiet, sleepy hamlet of Jupiter, Florida. The year is 1952. A troupe of curiosities has just arrived to town, coinciding with the strange emergence of a dark entity that savagely threatens the lives of townsfolk and freaks alike.This is the story of the performers and their desperate journey of survival amidst the dying world of the American carny experience.