Disney+ viewers left ‘crying’ by A-list casting update to beloved horror series

Any last words? Fans of Ryan Murphy’s cult classic American Horror Story may typically be inclined to respond almost instinctively with, “Balenciaga!”, but it seems that they’re much too busy celebrating the series’ highly-anticipated return at the moment. As a Halloween gift to us all, Ryan Murphy’s production studio released a teaser for the new series of the hit horror show, which airs on Disney+ in the UK and FX in the US, giving fans a glimpse into the cast of the upcoming season, and it’s safe to say that this might just be shaping up to be the most exciting cast that the show has got together in years.

Alongside the likes of series regular Sarah Paulson, who also had viewers in a chokehold with her performance in Netflix’s Ratched, and newcomer Ariana Grande, who proved that her acting chops are just as impressive as her pipes in Wicked, one of the most beloved actresses to grace the series is making her comeback for the first time in seven years.

Having last appeared in AHS: Apocalypse, the show’s eighth series that aired in 2018, Jessica Lange will be making her return, though all of the actors’ roles are as of yet undisclosed. The 76-year-old has been behind some of the series’ most iconic moments, and won Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in two different seasons, so her return has gone down very well with fans online.

Taking to Instagram, one wrote: “QUEEN JESSICA IS BACK [crying face] [black heart emoji],” while another added: “Mother Lange the GOAT is back! Now I can’t wait for this season, Ryan [heart eyes emoji].” A third commented: “Omg I’m crying over here! Miss Lange is back”. 

The full list of announced cast members so far is filled with series regulars: Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman, alongside newcomer Ariana Grande and returning icon Jessica Lange. The teaser ended with the line: “Surprise, [expletive]. I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me,” gesturing at a line from Emma Roberts’ beloved witch Madison Montgomery, revealing that the series would be released on Halloween 2026.