American Horror Story 13 Nearly Featured a Major Scream Queens Crossover With Ariana Grande

New York: American Horror Story: 13 could have delivered one of the franchise’s most unexpected crossovers. Ryan Murphy has revealed that he once planned to bring several stars of Scream Queens into the latest season of American Horror Story, with Ariana Grande set to reprise her original role from the horror-comedy series.

The crossover ultimately did not happen because Grande’s touring schedule conflicted with the planned filming dates. Murphy, however, indicated that the idea has not necessarily been abandoned.

The AHS co-creator discussed Grande’s involvement during the American Horror Story: 13 Celebration Event at The Hotel Chelsea in New York City, explaining that the singer and actor had wanted to participate but could not make the schedule work.

Ariana Grande Was Set to Return as Chanel #2

Grande’s potential appearance would have marked her official American Horror Story debut while simultaneously bringing back a character she played in Scream Queens.

Murphy confirmed that Grande was supposed to reprise her Scream Queens role for AHS: 13. Her touring commitments, however, created a scheduling conflict with the weekend selected for filming.

According to Murphy, Grande had warned him beforehand that her tour could make the appearance difficult.

Rather than abandoning the idea completely, Murphy said he decided to postpone it.

The filmmaker also indicated that Grande remains interested in making the crossover happen, leaving open the possibility that the Scream Queens characters could eventually appear in the AHS universe.

Murphy Wanted More Scream Queens Stars Back

The proposed crossover was not limited to Grande.

Murphy said he had hoped to bring back several other Scream Queens actors, naming Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd and Lea Michele, along with Glen Powell.

Roberts and Lourd already have extensive histories with the American Horror Story franchise, making the potential reunion particularly notable for longtime fans.

Murphy said that Roberts and Lourd wanted to participate, while also expressing his enthusiasm about bringing back the wider Scream Queens cast.

Had the plan gone ahead, it would have reunited the characters from the Fox series with Murphy’s long-running anthology horror franchise.

Emma Roberts and Billie Lourd Still Return in AHS: 13

Although the planned crossover did not materialize, AHS: 13 does feature familiar faces from the franchise.

Emma Roberts and Billie Lourd are returning to the series, but they are not reprising their Scream Queens characters.

Instead, they are returning as characters connected to their previous American Horror Story appearances.

The new season also brings back several other major franchise veterans, including Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates and John Carroll Lynch.

Among the newcomers are John Waters, Orlando Jones and Madelaine Petsch.

What Was Scream Queens About?

Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, Scream Queens ran for two seasons on Fox between 2015 and 2016.

The series combined slasher horror with dark comedy and satire, following characters caught up in serial-killer mysteries while deliberately playing with familiar horror conventions.

Its campy tone, exaggerated characters and genre parody helped establish a distinctive identity separate from American Horror Story.

A crossover in AHS: 13 would therefore have connected two of Murphy’s most recognizable horror properties and potentially brought Scream Queens characters back to television roughly a decade after the original series ended.

American Horror Story: 13 Release Schedule

American Horror Story: 13 premieres September 24 on FX and Hulu.

The season is scheduled to begin with three episodes, followed by weekly releases leading up to the finale on October 29.

With several established AHS performers returning, the new season is already drawing attention from longtime viewers. Murphy’s comments about the abandoned Scream Queens crossover add another layer to what might have been one of the franchise’s most ambitious reunions.

For now, Grande’s return as her Scream Queens character remains an unrealized plan rather than part of the confirmed AHS: 13 lineup. Murphy’s comments, however, suggest that the door has not been completely closed on the idea.