Ryan Murphy has been revealing a bunch of new info on the future of his mega-hit FX anthology series American Horror Story, and not just about the upcoming season—American Horror Story: Hotel—but beyond, and all of it is enough to get longtime fans whipped up into a a frenzy of bloody excitement.
First off, while speaking to the folks at Entertainment Weekly, series creator Ryan Murphy revealed that Lady Gaga’s character on Hotel, simply known as “The Countess,” is a blood drinker, but not a vampire. “I prefer the term ‘ancient blood virus.’ It’s not vampires.” He adds, “It’s really a form of hemophilia in a way. There’s no capes and fangs.”Â
Note to Ryan Murphy: You don’t need capes or fangs to be a vampire. The cult classic David Bowie/Susan Sarandon vampire movie The Hunger did it thirty years ago. Just sayin.
The Countess character is afflicted with this virus and so are her lovers, Donovan (Matt Bomer) and Tristan (Finn Wittrock)—a virus which causes the infected to crave human blood. According to Murphy, “Around the middle of the season, we sort of explore the origins of all that and her character and where [the virus] comes from.” With no fangs,  a custom made (and highly fashionable) chainmail glove was made, which she’ll use to slice arteries. Of course, this being Gaga, she’ll have no shortage of incredible outfits to wear as well.
Another rather big reveal? American Horror Story might be doubling down, going from one season each October to two a year. According to Murphy, “Next year we might do a fall American Horror Story and a spring. We have to decide. We’re doing something that we’ve never done before on the show where we’re doing two different groups of writers rooms. Some of our writers will be bouncing around but a whole different group coming in late August. The next thing we’re crafting up is very, very different than this. Not smaller. But just not opulent. More rogue and more dark.”
And finally, in news that should have longtime AHS fans giddy with happiness, Murphy revealed that legendary actress Jessica Lange will eventually return to the show …it’s really just a question of when. “I’ve been talking to her. It’s always possible. I’m trying to deal with her play schedule. Jessica is always about the character. She’ll be back—she’s not gone forever. Sometimes somebody has to go away before you realize how much you miss them. She wants to come back we just have to come up with something.”
Are you excited for the future of American Horror Story? Let us know in the comments, and in the meantime, you can check out EW’s gallery of new images of Gaga in all her gloriously bloody couture below.
