During the Television Critics Association press tour, "American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy revealed what story inspired "Hotel," the new season of the long-running FX horror anthology starring Lady Gaga.
"There was a surveillance video that went around two years ago that showed a girl getting into an elevator in a hotel that was said to be haunted and she was never seen again," Murphy shared via Entertainment Weekly.
According to media outlets, he was talking about the mysterious death of Elisa Lam. After missing for days, the 21-year-old UBC student's dead body was found inside a water tank on the roof of Hotel Cecil in Los Angeles where she was staying back in 2013. During the investigation, LAPD published a hair-raising footage of Lam behaving erratically in the elevator.
"American Horror Story: Hotel" won't be the first to tackle Lam's case, which was eventually ruled as accidental death. ABC series "Castle" also did an episode where a dead woman's body was found inside a water tank of a hotel. The 2014 horror film "The Bringing" had the same premise.
In other news, Lady Gaga started filming her scenes as Elizabeth, owner of Hotel Cedric. The "Bad Romance" singer shared her experience by tweeting, "Thoughts on first day shooting for AHS? I say, I've died and gone to my personal heaven."
Murphy revealed via EW that her character "is sort of a very wealthy social doyenne who is consumed with art and fashion and people and she has a nefarious plan that is revealed in the first episode and plays out over the course of the season."
Meanwhile, Lily Rabe snagged the role of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was convicted for murdering seven men she claimed sexually assaulted her. Rabe will check in as the character in a two-part Halloween special titled "Devil's Night."
"American Horror Story: Hotel" premieres Oct. 7 with episode "Checking In."
