FX's 'American Horror Story' returns with creepy 'Cult'

Even after a visit to the show's set at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles, details of “American Horror Story: Cult” are murky.

And that's to be expected, since one of the FX franchise's great appeals for mentor Ryan Murphy is in keeping specific plot points as surprising as possible. In fact, during the set tour for the seventh “Story” — which starts its run Tuesday, Sept. 5 — production designer Jeff Mossa makes it clear there's a lot he won't say, to make sure he doesn't breach Murphy's desire for secrecy.

This much was known, though: “American Horror Story” veteran Sarah Paulson (an Emmy winner last year as Marcia Clark in Murphy's “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) and franchise newcomer Alison Pill (“The Newsroom”) play partners personally and professionally as they operate a restaurant. Their cuisine-oriented home is attached, physically, to their business.

“Election Night” is the title of the first “Cult” episode. Executive producer and longtime Murphy associate Alexis Martin Woodall cautions that rather than the story being about politics specifically, “I think it's more about what's going on in our world around us. And we talk about the streak of paranoia. ... It's not necessarily what you think it is, and I'm not trying to be cagey. It's just that I think that, as with all good horror and suspense, knowing less is actually so much more because it's going to unfold for you.”

Even “American Horror Story” co-star Paulson knows to keep her expectations for the series loose. “There have been times I have been told exactly what it's going to be moment to moment to moment,” she notes, “and then I get the script and it's like, ‘This is not what you said it was going to be at all.'”

Leslie Grossman, who first acted for Murphy almost 20 years ago on “Popular,” reunites with him on “Cult.” Billie Lourd, daughter of the late Carrie Fisher, continues her work with Murphy following “Scream Queens” ... with Lena Dunham (“Girls”), Chaz Bono and Billy Eichner (“Billy on the Street”) also major cast additions. Emma Roberts, Frances Conroy, Evan Peters, Adina Porter, Mare Winningham and Cheyenne Jackson reportedly stay in the “American Horror Story” family with the new round.

Whatever “Cult” ultimately turns out to be, Woodall reasons that it's “true to our brand — which is, you are going to be in a whole new world all over again and fall in love with these really special characters, and hate yourself for watching it right before you go to bed. And love yourself in the morning because (you'll be) like, ‘Oh, my God. I made it through the night.'”