Whether you think it’s lovably ludicrous or ludicrously lovable, there’s something undeniably compelling about Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk‘s “American Horror Story.” Its first season, which just racked up a whopping seventeen Primetime Emmy nominations, was a rocket-powered fear coaster full of S&M ghouls, marital distrust, and Jessica Lange. Season 2, subtitled “Asylum,” is supposed to take a more grounded approach, but by the looks of four new posters (debuted by Entertainment Weekly), it’s still going to be freaky as all get-out.
While many of the first season’s cast members will return (including Lange, Zachary Quinto, and Sarah Paulson), the new season will be set in the ’60s at a mental institution and features brand new “American Horror Story” actors in Adam Levine, James Cromwell, Jenna Dewan, and Chloe Sevigny. Murphy has said before that this season will focus on the actual horrors of the mental health profession back then, but by the look of these posters, it’s also going to be super weird.
Featuring nuns in white bleeding black, another ascending the stairs while a ghoul lurks underneath, and what can only be antiquated mental health implements bent to fiendish proportions, these images are just as striking as last season’s Rubber Man – the black latex clad figure that was a key component to the promotion of the initial season.
The posters also reveal a key piece of information about the new series – the start date! We can now look forward to getting the crap scared of us on a weekly basis, starting on October 17th. We can’t wait.