Ryan Murphy still hasn't decided what the next season of 'American Horror Story' will be about

LOS ANGELES -- Sorry, everyone: American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy isn't ready to spill too many details about his FX horror anthology's new season. Murphy mostly stayed mum Sunday night at the closing panel for this year's PaleyFest, which has taken place over the last ten days in Los Angeles. 

As a matter of fact, there wasn't much to tell -- Murphy admitted he and his writers are still figuring out exactly what the season will be. 

"The interesting thing about this season is we’ve been working on two ideas at once, which we’ve never done,” Murphy said.

“I think both things that we’re writing right now -- we haven’t declared yet a winner -- will have a different form than we’ve ever done. So we’re excited about that.”

Murphy did let slip one detail: “Both ideas that we’re working on now do have elements of children [in them].”

Also to come are more casting announcements. None happened Sunday night, beyond Murphy saying that every cast member onstage had been invited back to the show's next season. Lady Gaga and Angela Bassett are the only Hotel cast members who have officially inked deals to return. 

Whatever the show's next theme, setting or storyline, its producers said they like the idea of bringing in characters from previous seasons -- as they did with Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe), a Coven character who turned up in the “Battle Royale” episode of Hotel. 

"I think the deeper that we can go into the series -- [which] hopefully will last decades and decades -- you will see that big universe, and all the worlds colliding sometimes in a bizarre, interesting way," Murphy said.

Of course, Murphy wasn't the only AHS figure to get a word in. Members of his cast also shared amusing anecdotes about their experience in the crazy world of American Horror Story:

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Lady Gaga rules

While the Golden Globe winner was not at the panel, the cast had nothing but accolades for her -- whether they were talking about Gaga's kissing skills (Bassett, with a smile: “Very nice”) or her professionalism.

“I think she’s incredibly courageous and also very humble,” said Matt Bomer, who played her lover, Donovan. “When the cameras roll, she had a bravery and fearlessness about her that I think is beautiful.” 

Sarah Paulson [almost] lost her mind

Paulson was filming AHS at the same time that she was playing Marcia Clark on Murphy’s other FX series, The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. She admitted that while that took a toll, her experience playing Siamese twins on Freak Show did help to prepare her for it.

“I do think playing Bette and Dottie before, actually, was a very good warmup," said Paulson, "but it was absolutely enough to make me think I was losing my mind.”

Liz Taylor was a “crazy ride”

Denis O’Hare -- who showed up to the panel wearing high heeled shoes not unlike those worn by his trans Hotel character, Liz Taylor -- said that this season marked an important first for him.

“I’d never had a sex scene or a love scene, and so to have that was terrifying” the actor said. “It wasn’t really a sex scene. It was a love scene, which is a very different thing.”

"...thank you, Madonna"

Murphy said that Hotel's Addiction Demon was inspired by a once-banned music video by the Material Girl.

“There was a moment in Madonna’s Justify My Love video that I was very struck by," he explained. When he and his team were dreaming up the demon -- "we called it 'Drildo'" -- they based his physical form on that music video shot. The Bartholomew creature, he added, was inspired by the classic horror film It’s Alive.

Matt Bomer's "Hotline Bling"

"I had no idea what to expect,” Bomer said of the Drake song he danced to in “She Gets Revenge.” “I was just trying to think how an inebriating person who was not a great dancer would [dance].”

The actor added that he has no plans to release any kind of pop album -- but was touched that fans had been asking for it.

AHS could live forever

It seems that nobody is looking to an end to the anthology anytime soon. If its reign does stretch through the years and decades, though, O’Hare has an idea for a late-run season theme: AHS: Retirement Home. Be honest -- you'd totally still watch.

The sixth season of American Horror Story will air later this year on FX.