‘American Horror Story: 1984’: Matthew Morrison Joins Cast, Billie Lourd and Cody Fern Among Returning Stars

The cast of American Horror Story: 1984 has come together.

Billie Lourd, Cody Fern and Leslie Grossman are returning to the FX horror anthology for season nine, along with franchise newcomers Matthew Morrison, DeRon Horton and Zach Villa. The first teaser for the ’80s-themed slasher season dropped Thursday and revealed the looks for the star-studded cast, which also includes already confirmed returning star Emma Roberts and newcomer Gus Kenworthy and Angelica Ross.

Ryan Murphy, co-creator and showrunner, dropped the teaser and peek at the cast’s “’80s lewks” to celebrate the first day of filming on AHS: 1984. The season, which will be a summer camp horror, premieres Sept. 18.

The teaser, which is set to Dan Hartman’s 1984 hit “I Can Dream About You,” serves as the official cast announcement and reveals more than one camp look for the cast. Lourd, Fern, Grossman and Horton are seen in several ’80s camp outfits, while Ross appears with a stethoscope around her neck.

But it’s the mustachioed Morrison who steals the show with the many close-ups on the package filling his short shorts. Morrison’s casting marks a Glee reunion for the actor and Murphy, who created the hit Fox series.

The first look at AHS: 1984 also reveals the return of John Carroll Lynch as the possible killer. Lynch, who opens and closes the video, holds a memorable place in AHS franchise lore as the nightmarish Twisty the Clown from season four’s Freak Show, and who has been referenced on later seasons.

The teaser comes one day after the casting announcement of Pose star Ross. Following a pivotal episode on Murphy and co-creator Brad Falchuk’s groundbreaking FX series, Murphy revealed Ross had been cast in a series regular role that will be “unforgettable.” 

Missing in action from the AHS: 1984 teaser is AHS leading lady Sarah Paulson, who, The Hollywood Reporter has learned, won’t be returning as a series regular for the first time since season two of the Emmy-winning anthology. The star could, however, return in some capacity. Evan Peters, who has starred in every cycle along with Paulson, also won’t be returning for season nine, THR can confirm. 

As the teaser shows, AHS: 1984 will still have familiar franchise faces. Roberts (who has starred in four prior AHS cycles), Lourd (who has starred in two), Grossman (who has starred in two) and Fern (who joined the franchise last year in a key role) all starred in season eight’s Apocalypse, which featured the nostalgic Murder House and Coven cycles crossover.

Murphy, who is known for dropping a bread-crumb trail of details about forthcoming seasons, revealed the title of the ninth cycle with a clip that invoked slasher-horror films from the 1980s. The year 1984 welcomed a slew of horror pics to the big screen and would provide Murphy and Falchuk with a deep bench of classics to reference in the upcoming season, which returns Sept. 18 at 10 p.m. on FX.

Morrison has most recently been seen on the little screen in Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Wife and Younger; he is repped by ICM Partners and Podwall Entertainment. Horton has starred in Netflix’s Dear White People and American Vandal and is repped by Gallant Management; Villa (Shameless) is repped by CAA; Lourd is repped by CAA and Slate PR; and Fern, who had a breakout role on Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, is with CAA and 3 Arts Entertainment. Lynch is repped by Suskin Management. 

AHS has been renewed through season 10. (Head here for all the AHS: 1984 details.)