The filming locations for American Horror Story season 10 points to the possibility that the installment will feature the real-life case known as the "Lady of the Dunes." The FX anthology series, created by Ryan Murphy, is set to return this fall for a milestone season. While filming for the new season inches closer, new details have emerged, which adds more fuel to the fire in terms of theories centered on the new theme.
Murphy made true on the promise that season 10 of American Horror Story will feature an all-star cast. In late February, he took to social media to announce the returns of series veterans Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters in addition to Kathy Bates, Leslie Grossman, Billie Lourd, Adina Porter, Lily Rabe, Angelica Ross, and Finn Wittrock. Macaulay Culkin will also be joining the series for the first time. Shortly after the cast announcement, Murphy shared a teaser image with the eerie message "things are beginning to wash up on shore," insinuating that the theme has something to do with the beach or aquatic horror.
Rumors have been circulating that Murphy and his crew scouted locations in Provincetown, Massachusetts for the filming of the upcoming season. The town near Cape Cod is known for its beaches and it also happens to be the site of a suspicious murder case in 1974 (as pointed out by a Reddit user). Lady of the Dunes was the nickname given to the unidentified woman found dead on the dunes of Provincetown. She was found nearly decapitated lying on a beach blanket and was confirmed to have murdered. The Lady of the Dunes was never identified, nor was the murderer, making the cold case a perfect focus for American Horror Story.
How The "Lady Of The Dunes" Case Supports AHS Season 10 Theme Theories
American Horror Story loves to create grim fiction but there is usually a lot of true influences for the theme of each season. Whether it is real-life figures or true crime cases, the series is no stranger to America's history with horror. American Horror Story could use the Lady of the Dunes as a murder case that sets up a much larger mystery for the new season. It would be thrilling to see the cast transported to the '70s for a New England-based season. A town like Provincetown already connects to Murphy's beach teaser and the notion that oceans could be the site of all kinds of terror, whether supernatural or otherwise.
Massachusetts was introduced to aquatic horror with the first-ever summer blockbuster, Jaws. The 1975 movie featuring the man-eating shark was filmed in Martha's Vineyard and coincidentally has a connection to the Lady of the Dunes. Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King, speculated that the unidentified murder victim resembled a woman in the background of the Fourth of July scene in Jaws. Since the Steven Spielberg movie was filmed in 1974, it was plausible that she appeared as an extra prior to her death. Including this unsolved case on American Horror Story could once again stir up interest in the mysterious murder. Though the new season might face delays due to the coronavirus restrictions, more details regarding the project will soon be made public.