Sci-Fi Film and Television Developments

American Horror Story (TV)

8/26/11 - Zachary Quinto will haunt American Horror Story, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  Quinto has been cast as Chad, a gay former owner of the haunted home where Ben and Vivien Harmon (Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton) reside.  He joins a growing cast of former residents of the creepy Los Angeles mansion that includes Lily Rabe, who was cast this week, and Denis O’Hare.  The psychosexual thriller revolves around the Harmons who move from Boston to Los Angeles in an attempt to rebuild their marriage but encounter all sorts of creepy happenings at their new residence.  American Horror Story debuts Oct. 5 on FX.

8/3/11 - Tim Minear, Jennifer Salt, James Wong and Jessica Sharzer have boarded the FX horror drama, American Horror Story, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  Minear will serve as consulting producer.  Salt and Wong will serve as co-executive producer.  Sharzer will serve as supervising producer.

7/18/11 - FX picked up Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s American Horror Story, ordering 13 episodes with an Oct. 5 premiere planned, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  From 20th Television, the mysterious drama revolves around Ben and Vivien Harmon who move their family from Boston to a haunted San Francisco home in an attempt to rebuild their family after a miscarriage and affair.  Murphy and Falchuk penned the pilot, with Murphy directing.  Dante Di Loreto will executive produce.  Murphy is said to be revising the initial script to increase the role of the nosy neighbor once Jessica Lange signed on to the project in April. Denis O’Hare co-stars as Larry the Burn Guy, a former resident of the haunted estate; with Frances Conroy and Alexandra Breckenridge both playing Moira O’Hara, a housekeeper who has worked at the home for years and appears as a young woman to Ben and an older woman to Vivien. Evan Peters and Taissa Farmiga also round out the cast.

5/6/11 - Evan Peters and Taissa Farmiga are joining Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott in Ryan Murphy's FX pilot American Horror Story, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  The thriller centers on husband and wife Ben and Vivien Harmon who move their family from Boston to a haunted San Francisco home in an attempt to rebuild their family after a miscarriage and affair.  Farmiga will play Violet Harmon, the couple's smart gothic daughter who befriends Tate Langdon, a handsome and charismatic teen described as a cult leader with movie star looks who isn't what he seems.  Living next door to the Harmons are Constance (Jessica Lange) and her daughter with down syndrome, who knows more about the house than everyone realizes. Denis O'Hare also co-stars as Larry the Burn Guy, a former resident of the creepy house.

4/29/11 – Variety reported that Dylan McDermott has been cast in Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s FX drama pilot American Horror Story.  The thriller centers on husband and wife pairing Ben (McDermott) and Vivien Harmon (Connie Britton) who move from Boston to a haunted San Francisco home in an attempt to rebuild the family after a miscarriage and affair.  Living next door is Constance (Jessica Lange) and her daughter with down syndrome who knows more about the Harmon house than everyone realizes. Denis O’Hare joins them as Larry the Burn Guy, a former resident of the home, while the part of teen Tate Langdon has yet to be cast.

3/30/11 - Denis O'Hare has joined Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's drama pilot, American Horror Story, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  O'Hare will play Larry, aka "Larry the Burn Guy" in the pilot, which stars Connie Britton, who will play Vivien Harmon, half of the pilot's central couple.  American Horror Story has been described by FX chief John Landgraf.  Murphy will direct the pilot from 20th Century Fox.

3/18/11 - Connie Britton will star in American Horror Story, the FX drama pilot from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  Murphy is on board to direct the pilot.  Britton will play Vivien Harmon, one-half of the show’s central couple.  FX chief John Landgraf describes the show as “really complicated, interesting psychological horror show ... incredibly ambitious.”  When asked how it will differ from Harper’s Island, CBS’ poorly-rated attempt at the horror genre back in 2009, Landgraf argued this show will be nothing like that show.

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