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American Horror Story: Hotel is the upcoming fifth season of the FX horror anthology television series American Horror Story. It is set to premiere on October 7, 2015. The series was renewed on October 13, 2014.

Hotel marks the first season to not feature series mainstay Jessica Lange. Returning cast members from previous seasons of the series include: Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Denis O'Hare, Lily Rabe, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Angela Bassett, Chloë Sevigny, Finn Wittrock, Wes Bentley, Mare Winningham and Matt Bomer. The season will be interconnected to the first season, and will feature an appearance by the Murder House and its realtor Marcy (Christine Estabrook). Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy have stated that the season will see the reprisal of other characters, from subsequent cycles, around the sixth and seventh episodes.

Cast and characters

• Lady Gaga as Elizabeth/The Countess, the owner of the Hotel Cortez
• Sarah Paulson as Hypodermic Sally, a permanent resident of the Hotel Cortez, a drug addict, and nemesis of Iris
• Kathy Bates as Iris, the manager of the hotel and mother of Donovan
• Angela Bassett as Ramona Royale, an actress and former lover of the Countess
• Wes Bentley as John Lowe, a detective investigating the Ten Commandments Killer
• Matt Bomer as Donovan, a resident of the hotel and son of Iris
• Chloë Sevigny as Alex Lowe, a pediatrician and John's wife
• Denis O'Hare as Liz Taylor, a cross dressing bar worker in the hotel
• Cheyenne Jackson as Will Drake, a fashion icon
• Evan Peters as Mr. James March, the founder and owner of Hotel Cortez in 1930s
• Finn Wittrock as Tristan Duffy, a hypersexual male model
• Max Greenfield as Gabriel, a Hollywood junkie
• Emma Roberts
• Richard T. Jones as Detective Hahn
• Helena Mattsson
• Lily Rabe as Aileen Wuornos, the infamous serial killer
• Naomi Campbell as Claudia, editor of Vogue magazine
• Mädchen Amick as a woman whose son is ailing
• Darren Criss as Justin, a Silver Lake hipster
• Mare Winningham as the laundress of the hotel
• Christine Estabrook as Marcy, a busybody realtor; reprising the character from Murder House

Episodes

This season's two-part Halloween episode is titled "Devil's Night" and will be directed by Murphy.

Production

Development

In October 2014, FX renewed the series for a fifth season set to premiere in October 2015. Network president John Landgraf stated that the season will necessitate a "huge reinvention" for the series. The season's subtitle was confirmed as Hotel. The theme and Gaga's involvement were hinted in the previous installment as an image of a top hat, an arcane clue alluding to the the 1935 screwball musical comedy film Top Hat, which is set in a hotel and features a song called Cheek to Cheek, also the title of Gaga's duet album with Tony Bennett. Co-creator Ryan Murphy explained that the casting included a number of actors and singers, but would be a much darker season compared to the previous ones. Inspiration came from old hotel horror films and actual hotels situated at downtown Los Angeles, with reputation of sinister events. This included The Cecil in Los Angeles, where the death of 21-year-old Canadian student Elisa Lam occurred. Murphy had watched a surveillance video of Lam in the hotel, in which she displayed erratic behavior just hours prior to her supposed death. It was around this time that the writing for Hotel was conceptualized, and included Murphy's personal phobia and fears which he explained that had not been explored since the first season.

The upcoming season that we're doing is much more horror-based; it's much more dark. It's about a theme and an idea that's very close to my heart that I've always wanted to do that's a little bloodier and grislier I think than anything that we've done before; it's straight horror this year. Murder House, I thought, was a very primal season because everybody's great fear is about the bogeyman under the bed in their house, and this feels similar to me in that when you check into a hotel, there are certain things beyond your control... Other people have the keys to your room; they can come in there. You're not exactly safe, it's a very unsettling idea.

Murphy and some of the cast appeared at the 2015 Comic-Con International and revealed further information about the series. The writer explained that Hotel was connected to all the previous seasons of the show, and would include previous characters checking in the hotel. Other information revealed included a possible death of Paulson's character. He also stated that " are bad boys and girls this time." Regarding the season having no primary character, Murphy confessed that "the thing that's different about the season is that before we've always been very driven by the Jessica Lange character. She was always the lead character... This year, it's a true ensemble and I think we have more male parts and more male stories. The Wes Bentley part is really big, the Matt Bomer part is really big; Evan Peters and Finn Wittrock are really big. that's not to say that the women aren't either."

Co-creator Brad Falchuk explained that like the first and second season of the series, Hotel would explore the "trapped" horror trope, though the actions would not be limited just within the premises. "This season, the horror is sneaking out of the hotel," he added explaining that the plot would revolve keeping the hotel in the center, with a more noir like ambience. Named as Hotel Cortez, the titular structure was built by James March in 1930, who was created as a rich and charming but deeply psychotic character. The Art Deco hotel would consist of labyrinthine structures housing March's murderous fantasies with dead ends, secret rooms and would include plot-lines corresponding to it. The season will feature two tormentors, The Ten Commandment Killer, who is inspired by biblical teachings, and The Addiction Demon, who wields a drill bit dildo. They are in the vein of previous seasons' Rubber Man and Bloody Face, respectively. The two-part Halloween episode, "Devil's Night", will feature a dinner with "the biggest serial killers of all time", including Wurnos and John Wayne Gacy.

Casting

In February 2015, it was announced that American singer Lady Gaga had joined the show, and is set to appear in eight episodes of Hotel. Murphy had discussed the singer's role in the series, saying she wanted it to be "evil", however Murphy explained to her that Hotel would be devoid of any musical numbers. Instead Gaga's character, Elizabeth/The Countess, is a fashion icon and owner of the Hotel Cortez. Created as a glamorous socialite character, The Countess maintains her beauty by imbibing human blood. In March 2015, series star Jessica Lange definitively announced that she would not be returning for the fifth season. During PaleyFest 2015, it was announced that Matt Bomer and Cheyenne Jackson would co-star. Afterwards, more castings were confirmed, including Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Kathy Bates, and Angela Bassett. Murphy tweeted about the latter's involvement in Hotel, including a plotline with Gaga, as a character called Ramona Royale, an actress and former lover of The Countess returning to the titular hotel for revenge. Chloë Sevigny, who was a recurring special guest in Asylum, will return to the series for Hotel, playing the wife of Wes Bentley's character, a detective.

In May 2015, it was announced that Max Greenfield would also be joining the cast, in a role later revealed to be that of an addict. Greenfield had to dye his hair blond for the role. His plotline would be intertwined to that of Sally's (Paulson) and together with The Addiction Demon would feature "the most disturbing scene" the show had ever produced, according to Murphy. The next month, Murphy announced that Denis O'Hare would return as a cross-dressing bar worker in the hotel. He also confirmed that Finn Wittrock would return as Tristan Duffy, a male model who will be involved in a love triangle with Gaga and Bomer. Wittrock explained that the character might have similarities to his previous Freak Show character, Dandy Mott. In July 2015, Murphy stated that Coven alum Emma Roberts would return for a few episodes toward the finale, after completing filming her Fox series, Scream Queens. Her character will be associated with James March (Peters).

Later in July, Richard T. Jones joined the cast as Detective Hahn, a homicide detective, for an eight-episode arch. That same day, Helena Mattsson announced that she had also joined the series in an unspecified role. Series alum Lily Rabe will portray famous serial killer Aileen Wuornos during the two-part Halloween installment. With her appearance in the season, Rabe is one of three cast members to appear in all five seasons (along with Paulson and Peters) of the show. Naomi Campbell has been cast as a fashion editor who does not get along with Gaga's character. In August 2015, Murphy revealed that Madchen Amick joined the season as a "mother of a boy who becomes ill", and shares screen time with Alex Lowe (Sevigny). Later in the month, Darren Criss joined the season as a hipster that has conflicts with Iris (Bates), while Mare Winningham joined as the laundress of the Cortez, who works closely with Mr. March, in the 1930s. Christine Estabrook will return to the series as Marcy; the realtor who sold the first season's Murder House to the Harmons.

Filming

Principal photography for the season began on July 14, 2015, in Los Angeles, California, marking a return to where the series shot its first two cycles (Murder House and Asylum). According to the Los Angeles Times, creative reasons, not economic factors, was the deciding key for moving the series from Louisiana back to Los Angeles since Hotel's story is connected to the city. Murphy revealed a six-story hotel set was being built on the Fox lot. A dummy set of the hotel was built at Comic-Con, showing an Art Deco style building from the 1920s, inspired by the old Hollywood era. Murphy announced at the TCA Summer Press Tour in August 2015 that he would be directing the season's two-part Halloween episode, "Devil's Night", marking the first time in series history that he will helm more than the premiere. He stated he would direct it "because I love the script so much, when we finished it I said, 'I can't give this to anybody else.'"

Greenfield recalled that Murphy wanted to push the limits of the scenes between him, Paulson and The Addiction Demon, while admitting that it was scary. Paulson described it as a normal day of shooting for her since she was accustomed to the theatrics surrounding the show. She added, "None of it's crazy to me. I walk in and I'm like 'Hello conical dildo demon person'. I don't even think twice." For filming the scenes involving The Countess and Donovan, who are both affected by cravings of human blood, Murphy wanted chainmail gloves to be used as the murder weapon. According to costume designer Lou Eyrich, he developed a glove looking like an armour, taking inspiration from designs of Daphne Guinness. "We wanted it to look both rock n roll but old at the same time. But then the nail that pops out with diamonds on the edge to slice you," he added.

Filming also took place at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in front of Chris Burden's art installation called Urban Light, where Gaga was seen in a floor length pink gown shooting scenes. Media reported that the filming involved a party scene with Gaga walking through the installation while singer Dinah Washington's "Coquette" played in the background. Entertainment Weekly's Tim Stack spent three days on set, where he witnessed the filming of a foursome/murder scene, involving Gaga and Bomer's characters. Murphy recounted Gaga's day of filming stating, "You write a foursome for her and you expect a lot of questions. She never did that. She showed up and she was wearing diamond pasties, a Band-Aid on her hoo-ha, heels, and a black veil that Alexander McQueen made for her on the day before his death."

Marketing

In February 2015, Gaga tweeted a link to the first promotional video for the upcoming season with the caption "Make your reservation now. #GagaAHSHotel" announcing her presence in the season and the official title. In July 2015, a promotional trading card was unveiled by Entertainment Weekly, available at Comic-Con, where after entering the hotel set built there, one could receive the trading card with a promotional key. The first official teaser for the season was released later that month, showing Gaga's long-nailed hand ringing the bell at the front desk. In August 2015, FX revealed the premiere date of the season alongside with a new teaser poster, showing an Art Deco peephole on a wooden door, beyond which an obscure image revealed a blond woman putting a body to bed. Later that month, Entertainment Weekly exclusively unveiled two teaser trailers of the season, entitled "Beauty Rest" and "Do Not Disturb", set to singer Heidi Feek's cover of Elvis Presley's 1956 single, "Heartbreak Hotel". On August 26, Entertainment Weekly revealed exclusive cast photos, along with character descriptions. Gaga also took to her Twitter account to release another photo, showing her as The Countess with three cherubic blond boys, who are seemingly sucking on bottles of blood. The singer captioned the image: "We are family. Meet my magical children. HOTEL #AHS." Murphy released three new teasers through his Twitter account, titled "Towhead", "Sleepwalk", and "Jeepers Peepers", all set to "Heartbreak Hotel".

References

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External links

• Official website
• Behind Lady Gaga's killer look in 'American Horror Story: Hotel' at Entertainment Weekly
• American Horror Story at IMDb
• List of American Horror Story episodes at TV.com

• 2015 television seasons
• American drama television series
• American Horror Story
• Fictional hotels
• Upcoming television seasons