American Horror Story - created by Ryan Murphy - has ended up being one of FX's most popular shows, and it's pretty easy to see why. The anthology format of the series means that the recurring cast can play a number of different roles every year, and the writers can explore a wide variety of settings and styles. So far we've visited a haunted house, a mental hospital, a witch's coven, a freak show, a creepy hotel, a lost settler's colony, a sinister cult, and finally an underground bunker after the end of the world. Meanwhile, the show's influences run the gamut of spine-chilling classics, from The Shining and Frankenstein, to Carrie and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Take a look at the trailer for the ninth season in the video below: [[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/38pkzDzl-dkXnENEs.mp4||38pkzDzl]] The ninth season is yet to come, and many fans were left wondering what the theme for this year's instalment might be. Well, now it seems like we have an answer. Over the weekend, showrunner Ryan Murphy took to his personal Instagram account to post a trailer for season nine, which is currently entitled "American Horror Story: 1984." Filmed in a grainy, low-budget style, the ninth series appears to be a loving homage to the B-movie "video nasty" slashers of the 1980s, such as A Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th. The clip shows cast members, Emma Roberts, John Carroll Lynch, Cody Fern, Leslie Grossman and Billie Lourd sporting retro looks to the tune of Dan Hartman's song "I Can Dream About You." Watch the earlier sneak preview of the eighties-inspired season here:  [[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/BIq0kolI-Q0L14jDU.mp4||BIq0kolI]] However, while some fans are excited about the theme, others are sceptical that it could all be a ploy. Indeed, Murphy already pulled off a red herring when it came to season six; releasing a number of fake trailers to mislead fans and obfuscate the true setting. It might be that all the pop music and vintage fashion is just a cover for something much more Orwellian after all...

Next season's crazy theme of American Horror Story has been announced

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