As fans of American Horror Story have had to wait a year and a half since the ending of AHS: 1984 for more content, FX delivered today with a trailer for the upcoming spinoff American Horror Stories (emphasis on plural).

Previously described as a new kind of anthology, the series will consist of 7 episodes, each telling a separate standalone story, but within the greater universe established by AHS.  We’re treated to brief flashes of snake and coven imagery similar to AHS: Coven, along with many other callbacks.

Some of the highlights of the trailer include a few familiar characters like Piggy Man, along with the Murder House itself, as featured in the first season (now ten years old).  It’s also been confirmed that Evan Peters will return, as will Sarah Paulson, who will also be directing.

But the trailer also delivered on some refreshingly new elements, including Danny Trejo as a killer Santa.  We only get a closeup of his face as he says “Ho Ho Ho”, but given his track record in both horror and action films, it’ll be an absolutely joy to see him included in the series.

In another out of context clip, we get a shot of actress Amy Grabow as Tipper Gore (wife of former Vice President Al Gore) testifying, “We are concerned about the effect of violent content on our society.”

For those unfamiliar, Tipper Gore co-founded the Parents Music Resource Center in 1985, helping to lead a massive campaign for warning labels, and restrictions on offensive music, as well as violence in movies.

In the age of “Video Nasties”, Gore represented the establishment that then underdogs of horror were rebelling against.  So it will be interesting to see how she’s portrayed and what the larger context of that storyline is.

It’s no secret that AHS has sometimes had issues with pacing across an entire season, and fans have sometimes been disappointed by season endings.  So doing a series like this, where each episode gets its own beginning, middle, and end, could very well lead to another series like Shudder’s Creepshow or HBO’s Tales From the Crypt!

American Horror Stories is premiering on FX on Hulu July 15, 2021!

What did you think of the trailer?  What do you hope to see in American Horror Stories?  Let us know in the comments!

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