‘American Horror Story: Cult’ Confirms Lena Dunham Role, No Supernatural Elements
American Horror Story may have returned to more traditional teasing with Cult, but the FX drama has one major difference from past years. Ryan Murphy reveals that Season 7 will have no supernatural forces, while new details reveal Lena Dunham’s role and more.
Murphy revealed at a Season 7 press screening (h/t TVLine) that American Horror Story: Cult would derive its scares from the “cult of personality,” and break from the prior seasons to discard supernatural aspects. Not only that, but Murphy explained that star Evan Peters would play multiple famous cult leaders in flashback, with Girls alum Lena Dunham portraying Andy Warhol’s would-be assassin Valerie Solanas:
Throughout the season, [Peters is] playing six different cult leaders: Kai, Manson, David Koresh, Andy Warhol, Jim Jones — that’s a big one. We really examine how those people rise to power. … They really are idiots. … Lena is doing an episode called ‘Valerie Solanas Died For Your Sins, Scum Bag.’ That episode is about female rage then and in the country now. Valerie Solanas created a thing called the SCUM Manifesto in which she told all women to kill all men [in order to achieve equal power.] We also examine our female characters as they’re trying to figure out a way they can have equal power within this cult that Kai has created.
Elsewhere of Season 7, now set for a September 5 premiere, Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd has also joined the cast, along with Allison Pill, Colton Haynes, Billy Eichner and Popular alum Leslie Grossman. In addition to returning stars Emma Roberts, Frances Conroy, Mare Winningham, Cheyenne Jackson and Adina Porter, Season 7 might feature the return of several other characters from Freak Show, while a separate upcoming season was said to bring together Murder House and Coven characters.
Season 7 will reveal more details soon, so watch the trailer below and stay tuned for the latest on American Horror Story: Cult.