Ryan Murphy has shared a first look poster teasing the tenth season of American Horror Story.

The poster, posted on Murphy’s Instagram, shows a crimson mouth with pointed teeth, and what appears to be a tattoo artist (dentist?) inking “AHS10” onto their tongue.

With each season of the show centering on a different theme (previous seasons include Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Roanoke, and Apocalypse), fans have began speculating about the upcoming season and the meaning behind its cryptic imagery.

Back in May, the showrunner shared a photo of a beach (seemingly Cape Cod) with a knocked-down stick fence, prompting fans to suggest a mermaid or siren-themed season. This was furthered an Instagram post of a pair of ominous hands clawing onto a grassy knoll, with the caption: “Things are beginning to wash up on shore…” Murphy also announced the American Horror Story season 10 cast with a video of crashing waves, soundtracked to Orville Peck’s “Dead of Night”.

While the theme is yet to be confirmed, fans can look forward to Macaulay Culkin joining the AHS cast. Fan favourites Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, who were notably absent in season nine, will be returning, as will Leslie Grossman, Billie Lourd, Adina Porter, Lily Rabe, Finn Wittrock, and Pose’s Angelica Ross.

To add to the hype, Murphy has also shared a first look at his spin-off anthology series, American Horror Stories. “It’s the AHS spin-off. We are doing 16 one-hour standalone episodes delving into horror myths, legends, and lore... many of these episodes will feature AHS stars you know and love,” he said on Twitter. Have a look at the poster art below.