Creator Ryan Murphy, Season-One Cast Talk The Next 'American Horror Story'

"American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy had freely talked about returning season-one performers joining the FX hit's second season, but hadn't yet said much more. He's now letting the picture get a little bit clearer.

Murphy and his premiere-season cast of players were gathered Wednesday night by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to talk about eerie FX thriller's second round coming later this year, as reported by Yahoo! OMG today.

Murphy confirmed that an East Coast mental institution for the criminally insane would be the next season's backdrop, with first-season favorite Jessica Lange returning but now as the institution's administrator. As had also been previously announced, Zachary Quinto, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Lily Rabe will also be returning but playing completely new characters.

The first-season episode "Birth" contained a well-veiled nod at where Murphy already knew his next story would unfold, the creator confirmed.

"[When] Sarah Paulson's character, Billie Dean, says to Jessica and Taisa [Farmiga] as she's sage-ing the house and talking about places where evil collects: We talk about institutions and prisons and things like that. That was the clue," Murphy said. Though he said naught about the era in which his next "Story" will unfold, he did confirm "a completely different time period."

For what it's worst, the faces making up the second-season cast won't be entirely a first-season lovefest. Murphy divulged that this next round will include guest stars French actress Lizzie Brochere and "The Voice" mentor Adam Levine.

While Levine will be his sweet eye-candy self, Murphy explained, who he is could defy expectations.

"He's a sexy guy so he needs to play a sexy guy, but the guy that is different than who you think he would play," Murphy said. "I pitched him the part and he listend, slack-jawed, and simply said, 'I'm in.' The second season is fun, sexy and baroque. It has a lot of meat to it; it's a really gritty part. He's with a girl and they play characters called The Lovers."

Just to throw more fuel onto the fires of speculation, while Murphy hinted that other players from the first season may return with guest appearances, Murphy was also joined for the discussion by Dylan McDermott, Alexandra Breckenridge and Denis O'Hare.