American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy revealed the Season 3 title at last night's PaleyFest panel, and it looks like Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates are going to be putting the "W" in witch. Here's what we know about the highly anticipated third season of the FX anthology series to date.
The Season 3 tittle is American Horror Story: Coven. So what does that mean? Well, witches b***hes! We assume. Though we know there will be more than one horror trope explored in the series. As Murphy said, the show is like all of his "weird obsessions that don't go together converged into one pastiche." As to this particular plotline, Murphy said that it is, "a really cool story that we've been talking for a couple years, and this seemed to be the year to do it." As far as what the other elements in play will be, we're not certain. Murphy did say that when he started the series that he wanted it to A) "be the opposite of Glee" and B) that the one mythological creature he would not take on is vampires. Now, though, he says, "you never know." So will witches and vamps converge in this third installment as they so often do in supernatural tales? Likely not. Then again we wouldn't expect aliens to meet exorcisms, either. So as Murphy says...
The American Horror Story players will be joined by Kathy Bates, another Academy Award-winning actress, who's character, according to Murphy is,"five times worse than her character in Misery." If you've seen the adaptation of the Stephen King novel, then you know just how nasty that promises to be. Bates is set to play the frenemy (one time friend, now nemesis) of Lange's character. Murphy assures fans that Bates' "cuckoo for cocoa puffs" character will be going "head to head" with Lange in a big way. Bates and Lange have been good friends since getting drunk together shooting a scene in 1990's Men Don't Leave Bates says. She was a huge AHS fan and called Lange to ask her to put in a word with Murphy during the first season. Looks like that payed off to everyone's benefit. Given the title, we assume that the pair will be playing witches. The question now is: Will Lange play a "good witch" to Bates' "very, totally, crazy, evil, bad" witch, or are they each a little on the naughty side of magic?
Ryan Murphy previously said that he was interested in reintroducing and element of "glamor" in the third season, and has refereed to Lange's character as a "glam cat." Perhaps even more interestingly, THR reported that at a January screening of AHS: Asylum he said that Season 3 would deal with characters based on real people. Of course he hasn't shied away from using historical figures in the show to date, whether it's a woman who believed she was Anne Frank or the actual Black Dahlia. It sounds like this third chapter will be taking the use of reality-based characters to another level, though. "What season three is about is more historical in nature," he said. "When I pitched this to Kathy, her mouth was drop-jawed because what I was pitching actually happened," Murphy added later. “It’s a true event… You’ll see. It’s some good stuff.” Murphy sent Bates the script and asked her to take a few days to think about it. As he tells is, she called him an hour later and said, "I'm in." So are we.
In addition to Lange, Bates will join Frances Conroy, Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and a returning Taissa Farmiga in the upcoming season. Farmiga played the tragic and doomed teen-angst ridden Violet in Season 1. Murphy has said that he missed that, “that Romeo & Juliet youth story with Violet and Tate (Peters).” The creator said there was "no role for her in this season" but that he is looking forward to Farmiga's inclusion in this new story. "I'm interested in getting into a horror romance," he said in January. "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. I think as a person right now I do feel lighter and wanting to embrace something a little bit more fun."
Murphy has said that part of the joy of the series is finding the locations. He specifically mentioned that they were researching the most "haunted locations in America" and that Season 3 would be shooting in multiple cities, one of which is New Orleans. Season 1 was all about the history of L.A.'s "murder house" whereas Season 3 delved into Briarcliff. The third in the series will, seemingly, be less about a specific location and more about the participants. Time will tell, though.
Murphy has said that he has been talking with FX president John Landgraf about developing a "companion piece" to American Horror Story. The writer/producer was reticent to provide details about what that companion piece might be. Murphy is a self-professed Walking Dead fan, though (that series served as one of the inspirations for AHS), so perhaps it is simply a "Talking Dead" style aftershow. There are seemingly limitless story and lore opportunities with American Horror Story, though. So another possibility is that we will be seeing something more along the lines of supplemental character explorations - comics, web series and so on. When asked, the creator said he felt as though the series could last ten years to forever as it is constantly refreshing.
So, witches, multiple (haunted) locations, glamor and star-crossed lovers...Given the show's tendency to travel through time, my guess is that the Salem witch trials may play a role in this season. Who knows, there may be some revenge through the ages in play. Perhaps Lange betrays Bates, causing her to be burned or drowned as a witch and then later, in this time, a reincarnated witchy Bates brings the pain. As to the star-crossed lovers aspect, I'd guess that Peters and Farmiga are Bates and Lange's children and/or part of rival covens (talk about forbidden). Or perhaps we will see vamps and witches go head to head after all. As to the glamour, Lange may be a vicous magazine editor ala The Devil Wears Prada. Only this time we can take the devil part of the equasion quite literally. After all, Murphy did mention that there would be more "fun" to be had this time around.
What are your guesses?
Roth Cornet is an Entertainment Editor for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @RothCornet and IGN at Roth-IGN.
Source : ign[dot]com
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