'American Horror Story' renamed 'Asylum'

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- "American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy says the second season of the anthology series will be called "Asylum," a nod to its mental-institution setting.

Although Season 1 cast members Jessica Lange, Zachary Quinto, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe are returning for the second run of episodes, they will be playing entirely different characters in a different time period and location, Murphy has said in the past.

The first season was set in a haunted house in California during modern times, while the second will take place in an East Coast psychiatric hospital in the 1960s.

"We picked 'Asylum' because it not only describes the setting -- an insane asylum run by Jessica Lange's character which was formerly a tuberculosis ward -- but also signifies a place of haven for the unloved and the unwanted," Murphy said in a statement to TVGuide.com. "This year's theme is about sanity and tackling real-life horrors."

Also joining the cast of the FX series this season will be Adam Levine, James Cromwell and Joseph Fiennes, EW.com said.