American Horror Story season 7: Everything we know so far from theme and release date to its cast

American suburbia, hair dye, elephant monsters, no Gaga - what's happening with American Horror Story?

American Horror Story fans are seemingly left in a constant state of speculation - though that's always been part of the fun.

Last year, fans went wild with anticipation when it was revealed that the theme would be kept secret right until season 6's premiere; Roanoke turned out, as well, to defy traditional formats with a reality-show take interwoven with endless twists, turns, and gruesome deaths.

That leaves the door wide open for season 7. We could go anywhere. Explore anything, through any means.

Indeed, showrunner Ryan Murphy has hinted that we could be about to see a major shift in the show's usual anthology approach. He previously told The Hollywood Reporter that in Roanoke, "we lay a lot of pipe, and you'll see it explode in seasons seven and eight."

Here's everything we know about season 7 so far.

What's the theme?

Despite Ryan Murphy's promises to reveal this year's theme back in spring, we're still entirely in the dark as to what to expect, leaving us in a not too dissimilar position to last year's Roanoke.

That, supposedly, won't happen again, leaving us counting down the days until the show's first teaser; Murphy has hinted this year will similarly have a "big hook behind it". Likely to be, as has since been unveiled, the fact that season 7 will be dealing in some way with the most recent US election.

Many jumped on Murphy's quotes as confirmation it would be the series' over-arching theme, though he has since clarified that the show opens on election night, but that it will deal with the subject in a far more allegorical way. Furthermore, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will appear, but only on television as, "we don't have actors playing them".

Instead, the series' focus seems to be on the political divide that has deepened since last year's election, with Murphy stating that he won't look to "just the obvious, single-minded point of view but rather express all sides of that equation".

Now, there are several details that need to be slotted into that overall picture. First off, Murphy hinted that Freak Show characters would somehow make a reappearance, examining "deeper histories and mythologies. So we're sort of still exploring season 4 in season 7".

UPDATE: Ryan Murphy revealed on Instagram that Twisty the Clown will return.

What's particularly interesting is that Murphy has so far shared two pieces of concept art for the series which seem to echo certain Freak Show elements. Though an elephant-monster seems an obvious nod to the Republican Party and its symbol, the lower half of the mask is strangely reminiscent of Twisty the Clown.

Another piece of concept art shows a frightening visage with two hands reaching out - one looks a lot like those sported by Evan Peters' Lobster Boy in Freak Show, while the other has six fingers, traditionally associated with witchcraft. Could there also be a callback to Coven?

Two other revealing glimpses shared by Murphy involve, strangely, hair dye. One shows that Evan Peters will this season be sporting a patriotic blue dye, while Billie Lourd will have a white-ish do; the latter arrived with the caption "Winter is coming".

Could there be a weather/apocalyptic side to this year's season? Leaked photos from the production have revealed both artificial snow and flooded sets being utilised, all taking place within a quiet piece of American suburbia.

Who's back? Who's new?

As mentioned, both Evan Peters and Billie Lourd have been confirmed for the show; that's alongside regular Sarah Paulson, Leslie Grossman, Billy Eichner, and Colton Haynes. Add to that, both Adina Porter and Cheyenne Jackson have been spotted on set.

UPDATE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World actress Alison Pill has also been spotted on set.

That leaves quite a few regulars without confirmed appearances; a fact bound to agitate dedicated fans of the show, who may have grown somewhat attached to their TV family.

It's already been confirmed that Lady Gaga, who just wrapped A Star is Born and is about to head on tour, will not be returning this season. Angela Bassett has hinted she might be able to "make some appearances" if it lines up with her own schedule, however.

Beyond that - Kathy Bates? Lily Rabe? Denis O'Hare? Matt Bomer? Wes Bentley? Frances Conroy? Taissa Farmiga? No word yet. Finn Wittrock was recently cast on American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, but there's no word on his American Horror Story involvement.

When's the release date?

There's no confirmed release date yet, though the show is expected to premiere this September.