Abigail Breslin, Billie Lourd and Ariana Grande in Scream Queens (Fox)
Ryan Murphy has revealed Ariana Grande was set to reprise her Scream Queens character Chanel #2 in a planned American Horror Story season 13 crossover, but her Eternal Sunshine Tour schedule meant it could not happen.
Murphy shared the details with The Hollywood Reporter in New York City ahead of the AHS: 13 premiere.
The television producer, also behind Glee, said the idea would have seen the Scream Queens universe appear in the American Horror Story world for the first time.
“It was funny because at one point I was going to have the Scream Queens come on to this season, but Ariana was touring and I couldn’t make it work,” he said. “But she was like, ‘I still want to do it! I just can’t be on tour.’ So I was like, ‘All right, let me think of it.’”
Grande played Chanel #2 on Scream Queens, the Fox horror-comedy co-created by Murphy. Her character was killed off in a seriously camp murder in the first season, before the series was cancelled after season two.
Why the crossover didn’t happen
Murphy said the tour clash was not a surprise, adding that Grande had warned him in advance it would be difficult to schedule. He said the weekend they needed to shoot her scenes, she was touring, and he decided to “bump it down the road”, adding: “I haven’t given up. I love her.”
In August, Murphy had also spoken about Grande stepping away from American Horror Story season 13 because of scheduling conflicts around her tour and album release, saying fans had not seen the last of her in his horror universe.
Murphy still wants to revisit Scream Queens
Asked if he was thinking about reviving Scream Queens, Murphy said: “Yes, so funny, Emma [Roberts] and I were talking about that yesterday. You know, they want me to do it. I don’t know.”
He added: “Emma really wants to do it. I know Billie [Lourd] wants to do it. Lea [Michele] wants to do it. Ariana wants to do it and Glen [Powell], my favourite of all time.”
American Horror Story season 13 premieres 24 September on FX, and will be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ and is described as an “all-star” season with returning franchise favourites including Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Angela Bassett.
Lourd, who played Chanel #3 on Scream Queens, also backed the idea, saying: “H*** yeah! Scream Queens is everything,” adding: “Chanel #3 is everything to me.”
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