Ryan Murphy Spills on Ariana Grande's Scrapped AHS Season 13 Role

The horror universe Ryan Murphy has been building for decades almost got a whole lot more pop-flavored. In a revelation that has fans simultaneously thrilled and gutted, Murphy confirmed that Ariana Grande was lined up to make a splashy return to his world — and the role was way bigger than anyone suspected.

Chanel #2 Was Coming Back

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Murphy dropped the news ahead of the American Horror Story: Season 13 premiere in New York City: Grande had been set to reprise her beloved Scream Queens character, Chanel #2, in what would have been a full-blown crossover between AHS and the Fox horror-comedy. Think sorority-house chaos crashing headfirst into Murphy's signature brand of dread — it was, by every measure, a fan-dream scenario. Grande played the doomed Chanel #2 alongside Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Abigail Breslin and Lea Michele when Scream Queens ran for two seasons, and despite her character's early exit in season one, she clearly left a mark on Murphy. "I love her," he said plainly, and honestly, same.

The Tour That Changed Everything

So what stood between Grande and what could have been the horror cameo of the decade? The Eternal Sunshine Tour. Murphy explained that the specific weekend production needed her, she was already locked into tour dates — a scheduling conflict she had flagged well in advance. "She warned me in advance that it was gonna be really hard to schedule," he noted, making clear there was no drama, just the brutal math of an artist in the middle of one of the biggest tours of her career. Grande, for her part, didn't slam the door shut — she reportedly told Murphy she still wanted to make it happen, just not while she was commanding stages across the country.

Murphy's response? Bump it, don't kill it. The crossover concept is still very much alive in his mind.

A Scream Queens Revival Is in the Air

Here's where things get genuinely exciting. Murphy didn't just mourn the near-miss — he opened the door wide on a potential Scream Queens revival, and the cast is apparently champing at the bit to walk through it. Emma Roberts has been talking to Murphy directly about bringing it back. Billie Lourd — who told THR "Chanel #3 is everything to me" with the kind of energy that makes you believe every word — is in. Lea Michele is in. Grande is in. And Murphy name-dropped Glen Powell as one of his all-time favorites, adding him to the revival wish list with obvious affection.

Murphy offered some perspective on timelines, pointing out it has been roughly 12 years since Glee ended and he is already warming to the idea of returning to that world too. Sometimes the best stories just need a longer runway. Scream Queens was canceled after two seasons at a moment when the network landscape was crumbling under the weight of streaming's rise — co-creator Ian Brennan has noted the show was pulling ratings that networks would "give their eyeteeth for" today. The timing, in other words, was always the villain.

AHS Season 13 Is Here — But Grande's Chapter Isn't Closed

For now, American Horror Story Season 13 premieres on FX without its almost-Chanel #2, stacked instead with franchise legends — Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Angela Bassett among them, all returning to iconic roles. It's a heavyweight lineup by any standard.

But the Grande-shaped gap in this season feels less like a miss and more like a promise. Murphy is patient, Grande is willing, and the Eternal Sunshine Tour won't run forever. When the schedules finally align — and Murphy seems confident they will — Chanel #2's comeback could be one of the most satisfying moments Murphy's universe has ever delivered. The scream queens are ready. The question is just when.