American Horror Story: Everything We Know About Season 12

The new season of American Horror Story kicked off on September 20th. It's the show's 12th season, with producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk following up last year's American Horror Story: NYC, a nightmarish tale of 1980s homophobia and the advent of the AIDS crisis. This particular season of American Horror Story is airing in two parts, with the first five episodes debuting in September, and the next five episodes airing in 2024. With many as-yet-unanswered questions about when the season will resume after the mid-season break, we're answering all questions about Season 12.

What's This Season of American Horror Story Called?

Season 12 of American Horror Story is titled American Horror Story: Delicate.

What Is Season 12 of American Horror Story Be About?

This season is based on the novel Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine. According to Goodreads, the book is "a gripping thriller that follows a woman convinced a sinister figure is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens — while the men in her life refuse to believe a word she says." The story has been compared to a "feminist update to Rosemary's Baby," which sets the bar high, considering what a landmark for horror filmmaking that 1968 movie was. This is the first time that a season of American Horror Story has been adapted from a specific published work.

Who Is Writing Season 12 of American Horror Story?

In another first for the series, American Horror Story: Delicate will be entirely written by one person, and it's neither Ryan Murphy nor Brad Falchuk. Instead, playwright and TV writer Halley Feiffer will serve as writer and showrunner for the whole season. Feiffer previously served as a writer on American Horror Story: Impeachment, as well as the Apple TV+ anthology series Roar, for which she wrote the episode where Merritt Wever has a relationship with a duck. Feiffer may be best recognized for her acting roles, however. She played Ted Danson's daughter for five episodes of the HBO series Bored to Death, and she played Sophie, girlfriend to Jesse Eisenberg's character in the Noah Baumbach movie The Squid and the Whale.

Who Is in the Cast of American Horror Story Season 12?

Emma Roberts returns for her sixth season of American Horror Story, after having previously starred in the Coven, Freak Show, Cult, Apocalypse, and 1984 seasons. In the show's biggest casting news, Kim Kardashian appears in her first season of American Horror Story or any Ryan Murphy-produced series. It was Kardashian's Instagram post that heralded the new season on April 10th.

"Kim is among the biggest and brightest television stars in the world and we are thrilled to welcome her to the AHS family," Murphy said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “Emma and I are excited about collaborating with this true force in the culture."

In addition to Roberts and Kardashian, Cara Delevingne was announced as joining the cast on April 23rd. Matt Czuchry also joined the cast, now that Fox has canceled his series The Resident after six seasons. Czuchry, who’s making his first foray into the Ryan Murphy-verse, is probably best known for playing Logan Huntzberger on Gilmore Girls and Cary Agos on The Good Wife.

Why Is American Horror Story Airing in Two Parts?

Unlike American Horror Story: Double Feature, which was planned as two separate stories within a single season, Delicate is being split in two by necessity. The Writers Guild of America strike, followed soon after by SAG/AFTRA declaring a strike of their own, eventually necessitated a production stoppage. So FX made the decision that the first half of the season, which was completed, would air as scheduled; the second part would then finish production when the strikes ended, and would air soon after.

Part One of AHS: Delicate airs on October 18 on FX, with Anna (Roberts) feeling the pressures of her career and her advancing pregnancy bearing down on her:

When Will American Horror Story: Delicate Part Two Premiere?

While the WGA has settled their strike with he AMPTP, the SAG-AFTRA strike remains ongoing, and until that strike is resolved, production cannot resume. Once the actors are back to work, the show can finish filming. So while Delicate is expected to conclude its season some time in 2024, it's unknown exactly when that will happen.

Did American Horror Story: Delicate Film During the WGA Strike?

Yes, despite the ongoing Writers Guild strike, American Horror Story did continue filming without its writing staff for a time. On June 23rd, Kim Kardashian tweeted from the AHS set, "Hi guys! I’m on set of AHS and we have some time between shots. What are you all up to????" This was met with quite a few responses from striking writers, who weren't too thrilled to see she'd crossed a picket line. Ryan Murphy later sent a clear, if unfortunate, message when he threatened to sue a WGA East strike captain for calling him out in a tweet. Production on the season was finally suspended in July.

Joe Reid is the senior writer at Primetimer and co-host of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. His work has appeared in Decider, NPR, HuffPost, The Atlantic, Slate, Polygon, Vanity Fair, Vulture, The A.V. Club and more.