On Monday, Ryan Murphy will reconvene with the writers of American Horror Story to begin breaking stories for next season. This much he already knows: The story will take place in modern times, over a mix of several cities, and it will be “funnier” than Asylum. “I really miss Jessica Lange as Constance, that kind of stuff. And I know she missed it too,” Murphy told reporters after an advance screening of the season two finale in Los Angeles Thursday night. (This reporter may have teared up during the episode. Read into that what you will.)
Season three is “really about female power,” Murphy said, adding that the enigmatic figure next year (i.e. Rubber Man and Bloody Face) will also be female. So far, Lange, Sarah Paulson, and Evan Peters have all signed to return. “I got Jessica to do it because I did everything she asked … and I also told her she will have hair, makeup, and the best designer gowns ever made. She’s going to play a real glamour cat sort of lady.” Murphy said he’s currently reaching out to several actors who Lange asked to work with, but wouldn’t say who they are. “She’s sort of become an uncredited producer now,” he said.
Murphy is also working with producer Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity) on another horror project. The two are teaming with MGM for a contemporary remake of the 1976 thriller The Town That Dreaded Sundown, a movie Murphy obsessed over as a child. If everything goes as planned, they’ll film in the spring.
