‘Black Panther’ Star Angela Bassett, 68, Serves Voodoo Queen Glamour at the American Horror Story Season Premiere

Few returns in the ‘American Horror Story’ universe carry as much weight as Angela Bassett’s. The Oscar-nominated star is back as Marie Laveau for ‘American Horror Story: 13’, marking the Voodoo Queen’s third appearance in the anthology after ‘Coven’ and ‘Apocalypse’. Bassett, Kathy Bates, and Gabourey Sidibe last appeared in the franchise’s eighth season back in 2018.

Ryan Murphy has built the new season as a massive reunion of the franchise’s biggest names. Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, and Leslie Grossman are among the returning stars, and Lange’s comeback is especially notable since she had previously said she would not return. Filming began on April 6 and wrapped on July 28.

On Wednesday night, September 23, the cast gathered at The Hotel Chelsea in New York for the premiere of FX’s ‘American Horror Story: 13’, and Bassett made one of the evening’s most striking entrances. She posed in front of the red FX and Hulu backdrop in a black gown with a dramatic sculpted neckline, finishing the look with a sparkling skull-shaped clutch that fit the horror theme perfectly.

The photos spread quickly online, with fan accounts like Media Updates sharing side-by-side shots of the actress on the carpet. Bassett also posed alongside Murphy and with a group that included Sidibe, Paulson, Avantika, and Mena Suvari, giving longtime fans a real-life preview of the reunion coming to their screens.

Angela Bassett graces the premiere of ‘AMERICAN HORROR STORY: 13’

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 24, 2026

When set photos of Paulson, Roberts, and others dressed as witches first surfaced, many viewers assumed the new chapter would be a direct sequel to ‘Coven’. Murphy corrected that idea while speaking to Entertainment Tonight in July, saying the season actually pulls from all of the previous installments and compares the crossover to ‘The Avengers’, with the characters teaming up to defeat an ultimate evil.

According to Murphy, some cast members are playing several of their past characters, with Paulson taking on 6 or 7 roles and Peters playing 5. He also said he spent years writing the season and chose 13 episodes to match the title, while the season’s theme leans into the superstition around the unlucky number itself.

The cast of “American Horror Story: 13” at the #AHS13 Celebration Event in NYC! 🖤 pic.twitter.com/Ngwyw4oMWe

— The AHS Zone (@AHSZone) September 24, 2026

The returning characters span the franchise’s history. The September 10 trailer featured Lange as Constance Langdon, Peters as Kai Anderson from ‘Cult’, Paulson as Cordelia Goode, Roberts as Madison Montgomery, and John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown.

Bassett recently stopped by ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ to talk about slipping back into Marie Laveau’s shoes. A new sneak peek also suggests that time hasn’t cooled the tension between Marie and Lange’s Fiona Goode, which should thrill fans who loved their feud the first time around.

Murphy is also stepping behind the camera again. He revealed in August that he would direct an episode, his first since 2015’s “Checking In.”

The first trailer for ‘AMERICAN HORROR STORY’ Season 13 has been released.

Releasing September 24 on FX & Hulu. pic.twitter.com/VYaDRBH6Oo

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 13, 2026

The season adds several newcomers too, including John Waters, Joey Pollari, Alex Consani, Paul Anthony Kelly, and Berto Colón. It all builds on a franchise that has earned more than 100 Emmy nominations since 2011 and has been streamed for more than 700 million hours worldwide.

‘American Horror Story: 13’ premieres Thursday, September 24, at 9 p.m. ET on FX with 3 episodes, and it will also stream on Hulu. Another 3 episodes arrive the following week before the season moves to 2 episodes per week, with the finale set for October 29.

The season consists of 13 half-hour episodes, and all 12 previous installments are available on Hulu for anyone who wants to catch up first. With Marie Laveau back in the mix and old rivals sharing the screen, Bassett’s premiere night glamour feels like the perfect opening act.

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