March 12, 2016 9:22pm PT by Evan Slead
Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘Scream Queens’ Courtesy of FOX
The Fox series’ PaleyFest confirmed Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Niecy Nash, Keke Palmer, Abigail Breslin and Billie Lourd as returning cast members for the hospital-themed season.
Jamie Lee Curtis will be back!
Scream Queens co-creator Brad Falchuk joined series stars Curtis, Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Niecy Nash, Keke Palmer, Abigail Breslin and Billie Lourd at day two of PaleyFest.
Panel moderator Debra Birnbaum jumped right in to revelations of season two for the cast, asking, “Who here is coming back?”
As each cast member raised their hands, Curtis, who will reprise her role as Dean Cathy Munsch in season two, laid out the facts. “This is the first we’re revealing this much of the cast. We’re all coming back.”
The continuing story of the sorority massacre will also take an interesting turn into a fresh setting.
“Dean Munsch has taken her passion for education and brought it into the healthcare system. She has purchased a hospital,” said Falchuk. Jumping ahead in time, returning character Zayday Williams, played by Palmer, will be a medical school graduate working with the Dean. As for the rest of the girls, they have a similar tie to Munsch’s new plan as a medical head.
“All of the girls will be medical students under the rule of Munsch and three hunky doctors,” Falchuk revealed.
Speaking with THR prior to the panel, Fulchuk explained the inspiration behind season two’s hospital setting. “We looked at the horror movie model and saw this season as a sequel. Just like Friday the 13th and Halloween, Scream Queens’ second season is a continuation of the characters we all know,” he said, before adding, “Wait a minute. Halloween 2 was in a hospital.”
“We’ve started a Twitter hash tag to find the hunky men,” joked Curtis. “Again, this is breaking news that none of us up here even knew before.” Equally curious, Niecy Nash, returning as Denise Hemphill, echoed fans’ demand to know what happened to the dedicated officer.
“I need to know what happens to Denise Hemphill,” quipped Nash. “Well, she’s done her time in Quantico, which of course leads her to being FBI,” said Falchuk.
After the foundational plans for the upcoming season had been laid out during the panel, the cast began to reminisce on the moments that stood out from the series’ Kappa storyline. Chanel #3, played by Billie Lourd, expressed her love for her fuzzy earmuffs. “She never took the muffs off while we were filming,” said Roberts. Nash, channeling her inner Denise Hemphill, expressed her moments of improv as her most memorable moment: “I would always wonder what take they were going to use!”
Curtis was also asked about the show’s homage to Psycho’s famous shower scene starring her mother, the late Janet Leigh. “It was emotional. I won’t lie to you,” she said. “I may pale in comparison to my beautiful mother, but it was a moment.”
Horror movie references were on fans’ minds as they asked what to expect in that realm for season two. “We definitely will have more,” Falchuk teased. “It’s some of the best moments on the show.”
Co-stars Palmer and Breslin also shared their hopes for season two for the PaleyFest audience.
“I’m excited to see what’s to come, and I can create something out of it,” Palmer said. Without skipping a beat, Abigail Breslin also expressed her hopes for her character, Chanel #5: “I just want love.”
PaleyFest Scream Queens
Suzanne Tenner/FX
