AHS: Double Feature Finally Has A Premiere Date And It's Sooner Than Expected

Spooky season is officially coming early. After a year-long COVID hiatus, Ryan Murphy’s beloved horror anthology is hitting your screen very soon. So to prepare, here’s what to know about American Horror Story: Double Feature, from its release date to its cast.

You know the drill by now: Each season of American Horror Story tells its own freaky, scary story, as recurring Murphy collaborators like Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters often take on vastly different roles from year to year. Over the years, the series has tackled everything from haunted houses to asylums to cults, with time periods ranging from Roanoke-era America to the present day.

While American Horror Story was renewed for Season 10 back in 2018, its original fall 2020 premiere date was pushed back amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now it’s almost here, and Double Feature is shaping up to be a spine-tingling installment like no other. In March 2021, Murphy revealed the title with an eerie teaser video, which warns of “two horrifying stories, one season. One by the sea, and one by the sand. More to come.”

It wouldn’t be an American Horror Story season without Murphy dropping plenty of cryptic, creepy clues ahead of time, so let’s break down everything we know about the latest season:

American Horror Story: Double Feature Release Date

While all of American Horror Story’s previous seasons have premiered in September or October, Double Feature is kicking off spooky season extra early. The season will hit FX on Wednesday, August 25. Expect episodes to also arrive on Hulu the following day.

American Horror Story: Double Feature Cast

The Double Feature cast will feature plenty of familiar faces from the American Horror Story universe: Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, Evan Peters, Adina Porter, Billie Lourd, Angelica Ross, Finn Wittrock, Leslie Grossman, and Denis O’Hare are all part of the ensemble cast. Actor Frances Conroy joined the cast later, replacing Kathy Bates in a role after the regular Murphy collaborator had to drop out due to health concerns. In terms of newcomers, Spencer Novich and model Kaia Garber are also joining the fold.

But the most surprising casting news is the inclusion of Macaulay Culkin, whom Murphy told E! News will embody a “very, very great insane part” in the new season. “I told [Macaulay] the character and I told him he has crazy, erotic sex with Kathy Bates and does other things. And he paused and he goes, 'This sounds like the role I was born to play,’” Murphy added.

Bates’ character will now be played by Conroy, of course, but fans will have to tune in to see what that whole storyline is about.

American Horror Story: Double Feature Plot

Fans already know that Double Feature will feature two distinct stories. No other specific plot details have been unveiled yet, although Murphy’s social media teases and the official poster offer a few clues.

First, Murphy teased the season in March 2020, with an image of barely human hands emerging from the ocean, captioning it, “Things are beginning to wash up on shore.”

In May 2020, Murphy posted a photo of a beach, simply captioning it, “American Horror Story. Clue.” The following August, he shared a pic of fake vampire teeth to announce that Season 10 would resume production in October.

The Double Feature poster doubled down on the teeth imagery, featuring what appears to be a tattoo artist’s hand inking “AHS 10” on the tongue of someone with razor-sharp, vampiric teeth. While sharing the official poster, Murphy also confirmed at least one of the season’s locations: Provincetown, Massachusetts, AKA the site of the pilgrims’ Mayflower landing.

Finally, on March 11, 2020, Murphy shared a first look at shadowy, zombie-like figures on the streets of Provincetown.

Is Double Feature going back in time to tell a pilgrim story? Or is the title a reference to the Rocky Horror Picture Show song “Science Fiction/Double Feature”? At this point, it’s anyone’s guess.

American Horror Story: Double Feature Trailer

Apart from the name announcement teaser, no Double Feature trailer has been released just yet. However, you can check this space for more updates as they arrive.