Pins & Needles
Because “pinning” on the internet is all the rage…
This October. . .lift your spirits.
With last night's season finale for the FX show "American Horror Story," Madness Ends (episode 2.13), fans find creator Ryan Murphy lied, a little bit. He had said previously that everything would be explained and no questions left unanswered.
But the alien subplot wasn't really fleshed out, and Murphy admitted (according to a Hollywood Reporter article published last night) he wanted that angle left a bit ambiguous so fans can ponder their own interpretations. Kit (Evan Peters) was abducted before his death, but since the aliens never communicated their motives, fans are going to have to swallow Grace's (Lizzie Brocheré) explanation to Alma (Britne Oldford) in episode 2.12 that Kit was chosen for his open-mindedness and leave it at that.
Alicia Lutes (in a Hollywood.com article published yesterday) proposes very apt theories that "the alien storyline is a direct foil to the religious control that runs throughout the entire series." After all, the existence of neither aliens nor God can be definitively proven or disproven, with believers often so fervent as to "off-put" non-believers. And the open-minded and compassionate Kit becomes not only savior to the other characters, but also the chosen of the aliens.
So what about season 3, which has fans abuzz even though the premiere won't happen until October? Murphy still isn't ready to reveal the new setting or plot. But he's not keeping completely quiet on the subject either.
In addition to the return of Jessica Lange (who won an Emmy for the show), Peters and Sarah Paulson, who all appeared in Murder House (season 1) and starred in Asylum (season 2), Murphy announced he's in negotiations to get Taissa Farmiga back for season 3. Farmiga starred as Violet Harmon, Tate's love interest, in Murder House, but she didn't appear in Asylum. She's the younger sister of Academy Award nominee Vera Farmiga ("The Departed," "Up in the Air," "Orphan").
Murphy told Entertainment Weekly, in an article yesterday, that he intends Farmiga to "headline" the season. He said he "missed her this season" but that he feels "protective of her and ... didn't want her to go back into the loony bin."
Murphy has also revealed that season 3 will be lighter than Asylum and will include romance. He's previously said Lange's character will be glamorous, and in yesterday's EW article, he added that she will play a villainous character, more similar to her Constance in Murder House than her Jude in Asylum. He said he wants "constant makeup, gowns and a full on blow out for every scene!"
Murphy also revealed that season 3 "will be shot on location in 3 different cities in the country." He's signed Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, who directed last night's finale as well as episode 2.5, I Am Anne Frank (Part 2), and episode 2.11, Spilt Milk.
In addition, Murphy said, "I think this show could do now 10 years and I’d be interested in doing it that long and I like that every year will be a completely different tone and message and visual look." So get ready for many more years to come of Murphy's shocking and incredibly imaginative stories.
This year's PaleyFest honored actors and creators from FX series "American Horror Story" with the prime spot of the Fest's final panel, which ended just minutes ago. Show Creator Ryan Murphy verified the witch theme by revealing next season's title: "American Horror Story: Coven." He also confirmed that the new season will shoot in several locations, including New Orleans. Besides Murphy, the panel included Co-Creator Brad Falchuk, Executive Producers Dante Di Loreto and Tim Minear, and show stars Jessica Lange, Lily Rabe, Naomi Grossman, Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Evan Peters and surprise guest Kathy Bates, who will appear in season three.
Previously, actor Dylan McDermott, who played Ben in season one (Murder House) and Johnny in season two (Asylum), hinted at Salem witches as part of the upcoming season three, which will begin next October. Later, actress Conroy, who played the elder Moira in Murder House and the Angel of Death in Asylum, confirmed rumors of New Orleans as a setting for next season. Conroy is slated to appear in 10 of season three's 13 episodes.
Other actors returning include Lange, Rabe, Peters, Paulson, and Taissa Farmiga, with the addition of Oscar-winner Bates for season three. Zap2It speculated (in a previously published story) that Bates may portray Madame Marie Delphine LaLaurie, who tortured and murdered black slaves in the early 1800s.
Just last month, Lou Eyrich won the Costume Designers Guild Award for the show. Lange won a Satellite Award, SAG, Golden Globe and Emmy for her portrayal of Constance in Murder House and, for the same season, the show won the Best Genre Series Satellite Award, a Hairstyling Emmy and a Bram Stoker Writers Association award for the final episode Afterbirth. Asylum already won a Golden Reel sound editing award for its opening episode Welcome to Briarcliff and has been nominated for several others.
To read memorable quotes from and see great artwork inspired by season two, Asylum, click here. And to keep up on the latest news on the upcoming 'AHS' season and more, click the Subscribe button above. Articles from this column will then be delivered to your e-mail In Box.
"American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy announced Friday night that the next season of the FX hit will be set in New Orleans, and feature witches. Numerous past stars from previous seasons will return, including Jessica Lange, and Kathy Bates has been confirmed to make her debut for Season 3.
Murphy made his announcement at PaleyFest, although the witches theme had previously leaked out, causing fans to think it would be in Salem this time around, and even inspiring some very convincing fake promos. The subtitle for this season is "Coven" -- each season has its own theme and self-contained storyline, re-inventing itself with the next season. Season 1 was the LA murder house, and Season 2 was an insane asylum.
Murphy said the show will forego soundstages to shoot on location this year, and filming begins this summer. He also confirmed what pretty much the rest of us are thinking with the news of Bates joining the cast.
"The only thing I'll say about the part is, you know, I wanted to see a lot of scenes with Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates going at it," Murphy said about Bates' upcoming role. "So, that's what you're going to see."
Murphy has also said Lange will play a "glamour cat" in the new season, which Lange denied knowing much about. But if witches have cats for familiars, could it be Lange will have a distinct feline quality to her character this season? Perhaps a bit of shape-shifting?
Oh, the possibilities are endless, and will keep us speculating till the series debuts this fall.
By MICHAEL CIDONI LENNOX 03/16/13LOS ANGELES — The third season of "American Horror Story" will be subtitled "Coven," and add actress Kathy Bates to the series' ensemble, according to the TV anthology's co-creator, Ryan Murphy.
"We're far enough along in the writing that I can tell you what it's about," Murphy announced to more than 1000 of the show's fans who attended the PaleyFest panel on the series Friday night at the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles.
Murphy ("Nip/Tuck," "Glee," "The New Normal") confirmed there would be witches in the new season, but failed to reveal any more plot specifics. "It's a really cool story that we've been talking about for a couple of years, actually, and this seemed the year to do it," he continued, dropping one more tidbit:
After filming the first two seasons on lots and soundstages, parts of the series three will be shot in New Orleans.
"The fun thing about doing the show is researching what are the really haunted places in America, because every year the institution is one of the lead characters," Murphy explained. "The first year was Murder House, and this year was Asylum. We have another couple doozy locales."
Joining Murphy on the panel were "American Horror Story: Asylum" cast members Frances Conroy, Naomi Grossman, Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Lily Rabe as well as executive producers Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear. Before the event, it had been reported that Conroy, Lange, Paulson, Peters and Rabe were confirmed to be a part of the third season.
Previously, Murphy had also said Lange would be playing a "glamor cat" in her latest "Story" role. When Lange was asked about that new character, she replied, laughing, "I don't know what a `glamor cat' is, but I am excited about it."
Late in the event, the ensemble's latest major cast addition was introduced to the audience: the Oscar-winning Bates ("Misery"), who said she was a big fan of the series and a longtime friend of Lange. Joked Murphy, "You know, I love a good Oscar winner," referring to two-time Academy Award honoree Lange, and adding that he and Lange had thought of Bates as this season-three character for some time. "So I pitched (Bates) this cuckoo-for-Cocoa-Puffs character. I said, `I know you have a lot going on. And we're way, way, way far ahead, but think about it for a couple weeks, and call me or write me.' And my phone rang an hour later: `I'm in.'"
"I've always been fast," Bates injected, chuckling.
Continued Murphy, "The only thing I'll say about the part is, you know, I wanted to see a lot of scenes with Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates going at it. So, that's what you're going to see."
Murphy also said he was considering a vampire-themed `Horror Story,' and that "I have been talking to John (FX network president and general manager John Landgraf) about doing a companion piece to `American Horror Story,' so I think it would be really cool to do a couple different incarnations of the idea. So, we've been talking about that, but I can't talk about it."
"American Horror Story: Coven" will premiere this fall on FX.
[SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE SEASON FINALE OF AHS: ASYLUM]
We’ve never seen anything quite like the 13 hours of American Horror Story: Asylum. Nuns. Aliens. Nazis. Anne Frank. Denture Christmas ornaments. Mutant Mark Consuelos. Chloe Sevigny sans legs. And it all culminated in an utterly satisfying and brilliant season finale. Lana (Sarah Paulson) became a Barbara Walters-esque media star while Jude (Jessica Lange) and Kit (Evan Peters) forged a surprising, almost-familial bond. EW chatted with co-creator Ryan Murphy about AHS: Asylum for one final time and got a few more details about the third season.
First thing I wanna talk about is how incredibly brilliant and Emmy-worthy Sarah Paulson is in this episode. What do you think?
I really agree with that. I think that she really knocked it out of the park. She to me was the big surprise of the season. I’ve been friends with Sarah for a long time but I think she’s one of the most talented—if not THE most talented—actress of her generation. I think she has an incredibly long and exceptional career ahead of her. But for the Emmys it’s a little disheartening because there’s no longer a supporting actress category. So for my money I would be thrilled if Jessica and Sarah and Lily Rabe and Frances Conroy all got nominated because I think they’re just four spectacular actresses with four spectacular performances.
Lana really emerged as the heart of this season. Did that evolve? Or did you like Lana’s story as it went on? Or was it Sarah’s performance? She did really become an important part of the story.
She did. When I pitched this season, the original final episode was all just going to be Act One. It was gonna be a longer version of that. The original finale was gonna be Sarah Paulson now free, a Jacqueline Susann/Truman Capote type, gets a kick in her conscience from Kit and goes back in and shuts that down. And we were gonna have the whole last hour be a documentary of her doing that. But I think when we were working on that I thought “I don’t want to see feces smeared people for an hour. It’s so grim.” So we abandoned that around episode 10. We thought let’s give Jude a happy ending. Let’s make that one act. But let’s really make the last act Paulson vs. Bloody Face. So we broke that out early on but kept the original idea. I was thrilled with the changes. I was very thrilled with how emotional it was. Some of that was John Landgraf who felt very strongly that Kit needed to go back in and get Sister Jude out not for himself but for his children. That dialogue was all sort of John’s that I thought was very beautiful. Tim [Minear] did a breath-taking script. It just all came together.
Did Barbara Walters inspire modern-day Lana?
Well yes, 100% it was Barbara Walters. It was also a little bit of Brooke Astor. When we were doing Sarah’s make-up, we sorta did the math and I think Sarah Paulson’s character was like 2 years younger than Barbra Walters so we really looked at photos today of Barbara and copied that make up. But the truth of the matter, Barbara looks so much better than Lana.
Also, I liked the commentary of fame as a modern day horror, which I have come to believe it is. So that was a fun add.
And she’s got a hot lady!
And she’s got a hot lady lesbian opera singer. I loved all that stuff that Tim wrote about dinner with the Sondheims. I loved all that.
The big set pieces of the alien abduction and the Angel of Death arrival were both played scary. But this time they were reassuring and beautiful with people in pain taken away.
Yeah. I think they were both horror tropes that then became a release of pain, salvation. I wanted all three of those characters—Jessica, Evan, and Sarah—to get their happy ending I think they did. I really imagined that Kit—I’ve said this before—is like Richard Dreyfus at the end of Close Encounters and they probably cure him and give him some happy resolve.
Sarah was telling me that the final scenes you guys shot was her confrontation with Dylan. It’s interesting the show ended with that momentous meeting.
It was a very long period of days in that apartment. I just thought Dylan was such a great surprise.
He can eat an éclair very scarily.
I thought he was quite brilliant in that part. I think people were blown away from that side of him. Dylan is so good and versatile and hasn’t been able to show because he usually plays the Ben Harmon type or the lawyer from The Practice. I think he really got into that dirt-under-the-fingernails kind of thing.
It’s funny to see Evan being maternal to Jessica because she was the worst mother in the world to him in season one.
Yeah it’s like Constance finally got the son she always wanted. That’s the fun of the show. Every season of it is so flipped.
I told you this already but I think that AHS: Asylum, as a whole, is the best thing you’ve ever done. It really is a high point. Do you feel the same?
I really am humbled that you say that. For me, this season was a transition and a gateway drug of things I’m interested in doing in the future. I’m glad I have this under my belt before I go and direct The Normal Heart in New York because I felt it was of a piece. I don’t know. I feel like my career is so strange and so bizarre because I do a lot of different genres and I never do the same thing in a row. But I was very proud of it and I was very proud of the Catholic thing. I was very proud of the mental health stuff. Even when we first started this, this idea of can this possibly work? After this season I feel like it’s a resounding yes it can work. I think this show could do now 10 years and I’d be interested in doing it that long and I like that every year will be a completely different tone and message and visual look. A lot of people loved season one and didn’t love season two as much. A lot of people who loved season two didn’t like the lightness of season one. I think it’s an interesting show for fans too and I like that about it. My favorite thing about it was the research of all that stuff and I think our production crew and costumer and DP did such a great job being true to reality.
So you have Sarah and Jessica and Evan all lined up to return?
Yes I do.
Do you want people from season two and season one?
A mixture of both and then I’m meeting new people. I’m meeting new actresses. I’m meeting some really cool people. I think the story is good and so far has attracted a great interest from people because of what it’s about which is fun.
You had said you wanted a younger romance in season 3. Would Taissa Farmiga, who’s in talks to return, be part of that?
Yes. There’s a romantic element. I think the whole season I want to be funnier, romantic. But make no mistake, just when I think it’s gonna be a little lighter, I find this great, true-life character that’s the most horrible woman ever created.
Is that character the main villain?
Um kind of. I think Jessica is going back to be in that Constance-vein. She’s gonna go back to her evil roots, Jessica Lange.
I’ve had enough of her being a martyr.
I want constant makeup, gowns and a full on blow out for every scene!
People are dying to know what season 3 is about. Can you say anything more?
No. I start meeting with the writers on Monday. I’ve talked to them about what I want to do and everyone loves it. I want to flesh it out a bit before I announce it. I have like 6 nominees for the word. You know this year the word was “asylum.” I’m trying to figure out which is the best one.
Do the actors know more specifics?
No. And, believe you me, they have all called. I mean yes they know. To get Taissa to come back, I had to pitch her the whole idea. So some people know. But some of those actors don’t want to know til they read a script.
And you signed Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, who directed the finale?
Yes, Alfonso is going to be our producer/director so he will be directing a lot of them. He will be working with me to really create the look of what we’re doing. What we’re doing is more ambitious than what we’ve ever done.
So this one will be shot on location? Or on soundstages?
No this one will be shot on location in 3 different cities in the country. I should just say that it’s American Horror Story: Bret Easton Ellis and the whole thing is set in his mind. Wouldn’t that be brilliant? Maybe that’s season four.
American Horror Story: Asylum wraps up its brilliant second season tonight but co-creator Ryan Murphy is already planning out the third installment of his FX mini-series: EW has learned exclusively that season 1 star Taissa Farmiga (Higher Ground) is in talks to rejoin the series for season 3. Farmiga, who played the troubled teen Violet, would be one of the leads of AHS‘ very secretive third go-round and would join fellow alums Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, and Evan Peters.
Explains Murphy “I missed her this season. There wasn’t really a role for her. I feel very protective of her and I didn’t want her to go back into the loony bin—it was too dark. So I thought well ‘I want Taissa to be one of the leads next year.’ I called her up and pitched her the character for the season and she loved it and she said, ‘Yes let’s do it.’ So we’re in negotiations for her to headline season 3.”
Murphy told EW previously that he missed the Violet/Tate storyline from the first season and wanted season three to have more romance; Farmiga’s character will be involved in that part of AHS 3 which Murphy hopes to shoot in three different cities.
Fans of ‘American Horror Story‘ have admittedly found themselves surprised before that series star Zachary Quinto has taken such an integral role throughout the first two seasons, given the actor’s ever-expanding film career, a prospect hitting the stratosphere once again this summer with ‘Star Trek Into Darkness.’ So while Ryan Murphy continues to announce ‘American Horror Story’ alum cast in season 3, will Quinto once again return to TV for another go? Find out what the ‘Star Trek’ star has to say about his involvement in ‘AHS’ season 3 inside!
Earlier this week we were disappointed to learn that ‘American Horror Story’ and ‘American Horror Story: Asylum’ star Dylan McDermott might not return for the mysterious third season, having accepted a role in CBS pilot ‘Hostages.’ Now, it seems fellow ‘AHS’ player and ‘Star Trek‘ star Zachary Quinto may have opted out of the third ‘American Horror Story’ season as well, telling HuffPostTV that series creator Ryan Murphy had yet to contact him about a role:
I haven’t had any conversations about coming back, so at this point I don’t think I will be part of the third season as no one has mentioned it to me and I know that they have been making other announcements for the cast. Which is fine, when I signed on for the second season, Ryan [Murphy] and I talked about it being a one year commitment and I think just where I am in my work and what I want to accomplish I think it is good to have a little flexibility and a little bit of freedom.
So, at this point I don’t really have any plans to go back, but from what I’ve heard and what I know is maybe going to happen a little bit, I am really excited to see the characters that Lily [Rabe], Sarah [Paulson], Jessica [Lange] and Evan [Peters] all play. I know Frances Conroy is coming back, which I think is amazing and I think it is going to be a different world all together and knowing Ryan as I do I think that it’s only going to be more exciting and more surprising than anything we have seen so far. I look forward to watching it.
Even if Quinto doesn’t end up participating in the show’s third year (admittedly, McDermott’s own casting in ‘Asylum’ wasn’t announced until the day of its premiere), ‘American Horror Story’ season 3 has already recruited series regulars Jessica Lange, Lily Rabe, Taissa Farmiga, Frances Conroy, Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson, with the potential for others going forward.
Murphy has revealed only select details of the FX drama’s third season, including that season 3 would have a love story focus akin to the one between Violet and Tate in season 1. The season will be set in modern day across several cities, occasionally dipping back into the past as the narrative requires. Murphy also previewed that Peters’ role will likely prove that of a “sobbing psychopath” once again, while Jessica Lange would be a “glamour cat leading lady” of sorts.
Well, what say you? Will ‘American Horror Story’ season 3 feel different without a part for Zachary Quinto? Who from the previous seasons would you like to see return?
American Horror Story leading ladies Frances Conroy and Taissa Farmiga will be back for the series’ upcoming third season.Farmiga played tortured teen Violet in Season 1 of Ryan Murphy‘s FX scarefest. Conroy appeared in the first season as ghostly maid Moira and in the second as a noir-tinged Angel of Death.
Farmiga will be a brand new character in Season 3, which series co-creator Murphy recently said will take place in modern day but also will be “more historical in nature.” No word yet on who Conroy will portray.Murphy announced Conroy’s commitment via his Twitter feed Thursday.Former players Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Jessica Lange are also on board for the third go-around.The new season reportedly also involves a big romance in which Farmiga’s character will figure prominently.Production on the next 13-episode season will begin this summer and debut in Fall 2013.
Following a screening of the second-season finale, co-creator Ryan Murphy told reporters that next year would be about "female power" and revolve around a female icon.
Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters
Jessica Lange isn't the only American Horror Story castmember returning for season three.
During a Thursday press screening of Wednesday's second-season finale of Asylum, co-creator Ryan Murphy confirmed to reporters that Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters also are coming back for next season.
"I'm just now meeting with a lot of actors, so I don't want to say too much," Murphy said. "But they're actors Jessica wants to work with -- so she's sort of become a noncredited producer on season three, because she loves doing the show."
Details about next season -- including its likely subtitle -- are again being kept under wraps, but Murphy confirmed that it would be a modern-day story revolving around Lange. "We do have a great icon, and it's a woman," he said, noting that the show again would be inspired by things that he's personally interested in.
"I always start off with things that I've always been obsessed with," Murphy said. "The season that we're just about to do is another thing like that asylum thing that I was always really interested in as a kid. I come up with the story, and it's obviously always now crafted around Jessica, for the most part. Before I talk to anybody, I go to her and tell her what the story is and tell her what the character is, and she has input. This year, she said, 'I would like to work with X, Y, Z' -- people she's always wanted to work with."
While details of Lange's exact role -- like everything else -- are scarce, Murphy said she would play a "really glamour-cat sort of lady."
Paulson and Peters would join Lange as having been in all three seasons of the FX anthology series -- with the former having a minor role in the first year as a psychic named Billie Dean who coincidentally provided the clue to what Asylum ultimately would be about. Murphy also noted that the duo might not be the only season-one castmembers coming back for AHS third year.
"I will say that for season three, we are going to have some actors from season one who will return," he noted. "I like that idea. I know that those actors are interested in that."
After two seasons of death and (literal) insanity, the Glee and New Normal co-creator also said AHS would explore familiar themes. "What season three is about is more historical in nature," he teased. "I'm also interested in getting into a horror romance. That's certainly something that's going to be in the water for season three.
"You're going to see a very different tone in season three, but that's the joy of the show," he added. "I think as a person right now I do feel lighter and wanting to embrace something a little bit more fun."
Murphy told reporters that, like season two, next year again will jump between time periods -- and cities -- and remain a self-contained 13-episode season.
"I hope the show goes for 10 years, because I have so many different kinds of horror that I would like to write about," he said. "I love that you can jump periods, you can play with different actors. I know the actors love playing different characters, so it's something that we'll always stay with."
Peters, for his part, played a former serial killer named Tate confined to the house the Harmons bought in season one. In the just-ended season, he played Kit, a beleaguered good guy who was recently freed from Briarcliff, the institution for the insane at the heart of the sophomore edition.
