‘American Horror Story’ renewed for Season 4

“American Horror Story” will live to frighten another day. FX announced on Wednesday that Ryan Murphy’s “miniseries franchise” would return for another cycle.

Murphy’s take on the horror genre, which involves a repertory group of actors performing completely different characters from season to season, has been a huge success for FX, with the third installment, “American Horror Story: Coven,” pulling in an audience 87% higher than last season in total viewers. Season 3, which has aired four of its 13 episode, is averaging 7.74 million viewers per episode.

PHOTOS: TV witches — the funny, the spooky, the ugly

Additionally, the decision to cast it as a series of miniseries and not a traditional drama has paid off well for FX at the 2013 Emmys, where Season 2’s “American Horror Story: Asylum” grabbed 17 nominations, the most of any single program. The series has received a total of 34 nominations and four Emmy wins, including one for star Jessica Lange.

In a statement, FX Networks Chief Executive John Landgraf said, “Put simply, Ryan Murphy is a master television producer. Time and time again he reinvents the form.”

Each installment of the series has focused on a different aspect of the genre, with the first year telling the story of a haunted house, the second year focusing on a mental asylum and the current year exploring the lives of a coven of witches. No word yet on what Murphy plans for the fourth go-round.

The season finale of “Coven” is currently scheduled to air Jan. 29.

ALSO:

Fox rep: No ‘Glee’ spinoff with Lea Michele

Inspired by Rob Ford, Stephen Colbert smokes ‘crack’

‘Biggest Loser’ shocker: Ruben Studdard axed after dismal weigh-in