Watch This Before You Watch American Horror Story 1984

'80s nostalgia is in the air, so no wonder the ninth season of American Horror Story is taking place smack dab in the middle of that decade. But how will AHS 1984 fit into the show's ever-expanding canon? Here's everything we know so far.

Leave it to AHS co-creator Ryan Murphy to blend '80s camp with the menacing undertones of a slasher film - and all set to the kicky tune of Dan Hartman's "I Can Dream About You."

Back in July 2019, Murphy made the official cast announcement on Instagram through a series of stylish videos staged to look like "camera tests." As you can see, everyone is decked out in their most ill-advised '80s fashions. Hard to say whether this is what the cast will actually look like throughout the coming season. They could just be toying with our expectations here.

Meanwhile, the official teaser trailers heavily draw from slasher-film archetypes and scenarios. In one teaser, we see a truck full of youngsters on their way to Camp Redwood. They're partying so hard they fail to see the word "BEWARE" scrawled in red paint on the back of the "Camp Redwood" sign. Meanwhile, a masked man with a knife is hiding in the undercarriage. This guy really gets around: He later jumps out of a lake in order to stab a bikini-clad woman - basically a straight-up homage to the first Friday the 13th.

In another teaser, a young woman is chased through the dark woods. She hides in a cabin, and soon enough, a knife comes through the door. Yet another teaser features a group of camp counselors settling into their bunks. And when the cabin door closes?

As with previous seasons of American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy has assembled a mix of new and returning cast members to play all-new characters, this time in 1984. Returning stars include Cody Fern, Billie Lourd, Emma Roberts, Leslie Grossman, and a decidedly creepy John Carroll Lynch. We're particularly loving Cody Fern as an '80s-style preppy dude... especially since he looks a bit like James Spader in Pretty in Pink. Watch this before you watch American Horror Story 1984!

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The trailers | 0:14
The cast | 1:37
One frightful year | 2:47
So what's the story? | 3:58
The release date | 4:57