Cue the Screams: Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters Won’t Star in ‘American Horror Story: 1984’ (but There’s Still Hope)

Scary-sad news, American Horror Story fans: Sarah Paulson won't be returning for season nine of the hit FX show (well, at least not as a leading lady).

According to Variety, Paulson, who's been a show staple since season one, which kicked off in 2011, will join Evan Peters and sit out of Ryan Murphy's horror anthology series's latest installment, dubbed American Horror Story: 1984. (Blood-curdling screams are completely necessary right now.)

Howeverrrr. YES. However, it's still possible Paulson could appear in a cameo, according to the report. She just won't take on a leading role like in past seasons. And we have to wonder, is this Murphy's way of disguising his plans for the season? One thing we've learned as hard-core AHS devotees: Never trust anything you hear leading up to this show, people.

The show will (surprisingly) have nothing to do with the George Orwell novel. The next chapter in the anthology series will pay homage to the ’80s slasher movie genre popularized by movies like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street and premieres on September 18 on FX.

Paulson was asked about her return to the show back in April during an interview with SyFy. When asked about her involvement, Paulson played coy, saying, “I don’t really know the answer to that. All I can say is I know the least about this season upcoming that I’ve known about any season. Usually, I have more information at this point, and I’m bugging Ryan [Murphy] with questions. Right now, I don’t have a lot.” Hmmm, sorta sounds like she's trying to cover up what she does know, no?

Peters confirmed back in April that he wouldn't be returning to the show, saying acting on the show "was a full-on burnout."

"I’m going to take a break, regroup, decompress, get back in touch with what I feel like I want to do. Not that I didn’t want to do any of those roles—they’re exactly what I wanted to do. It was just zero to 100 instantaneously. I want to play music," Peters told GQ Style.

Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy and AHS alum (and Peters’s ex-girlfriend) Emma Roberts are both confirmed for season nine, and will play boyfriend/girlfriend in the next installment.

Murphy also hinted at the return of another AHS favorite from Apocalypse: Cody Fern. In November, show creator Murphy posted a photo of Fern, along with AHS alum Finn Wittrock (Dandy Mott from AHS: Freak Show) and Darren Criss (who guest-starred in two episodes of AHS: Hotel), with the caption “Cooking up something good for these three…”Could Fern be back as Langdon in another AHS crossover?

So, no Cordelia/Antichrist reunion then? We wouldn't be so sure...