On Wednesday, the twelfth season of American Horror Story premieres on FX on Wednesday and when the season, titled American Horror Story: Delicate, arrives, it will be unlike previous installments. Not only is this the first season that series co-creator Ryan Murphy won’t serve as showrunner, but the season will also be the first to be based on specific source material. The season will also be a bit unique in that we’re just getting the first half — the season hadn’t completed production prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike beginning in July. With Delicate being a bit of a departure from previous installments of the fan-favorite horror anthology series, we’re breaking down everything we know about Delicate to get ready for the season premiere this week.
American Horror Story: Delicate Is Based on a Novel
American Horror Story: Delicate is inspired by Danielle Valentine’s novel, Delicate Condition, which was released in August. In the novel, a woman named Anna becomes convinced that 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 modern take on Rosemary’s Baby and Valentine herself has called it a “horror novel about pregnancy”.
“It is essentially a horror novel about pregnancy,” Valentine previously shared with Entertainment Weekly about the book. “It’s a novel exploring not just the actual physical gruesomeness of what pregnancy is, but also the medical gaslighting that even modern, very privileged women experience as they’re going through their pregnancies and the symptoms that I feel we as a culture still don’t talk about for strange reasons.”
American Horror Story: Delicate Has a New Showrunner
It was announced earlier this year that, for the first time, Murphy will not be serving as showrunner this season. Instead, Delicate is being both showrun and written by Halley Feiffer. The season will star Kim Kardashian and Emma Roberts.
“Kim is among the biggest and brightest television stars in the world and we are thrilled to welcome her to the AHS family,” co-creator Ryan Murphy shared in a statement with The Hollywood Reporter. “Emma and I are excited about collaborating with this true force in the culture. Halley Feiffer has written a fun, stylish, and ultimately terrifying role especially for Kim, and this season is ambitious and unlike anything we have ever done.”
Who Stars in American Horror Story: Delicate?
Season 12 of American Horror Story will star Emma Roberts, Cara Delevingne, Kim Kardashian, and Zachary Quinto. Halley Feiffer is set to serve as showrunner. AHS veterans Billie Lourd, Denis O’Hare, and Leslie Grossman will star in the season as well. Also appearing are Debra Monk as Dr. Carla Hill, Annabelle Dexter-Jones as Adeline Jouda, Julie White as Io Preecher, Michaela Jae Rodriguez as Talia Donovan, Odessa A’zion and Zachary Quinto. Quinto previously said that his role in Season 12 is a cameo and spoke highly of Kardashian.
“I did a cameo on this season of American Horror Story and I got to meet her,” Quinto said. “She was so lovely and warm and, really, I don’t think she needs my advice.”
He added, “She seemed really in her element, and I was really impressed by her spirit and her openness. I really look forward to seeing this season because I think she’s gonna do a wonderful job.”
American Horror Story: Delicate debuts on September 20th on FX.