Lee Daniels, creator and executive producer behind FOX's hit hip-hop drama Empire, has expressed interest in creating a spinoff of the hit show and has all but guaranteed it will happen.
"Without question," he said during a press conference promoting the forthcoming second season. "There's so much ripe story that we've talked about already, about Cookie's family, what makes her her. That in itself is fascinating to me."
Daniels is referencing Cookie Lyon (played by Taraji Henson), the ex-wife of Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) who resents having spent 17 years in prison in order to keep the couple's record label in the clear. Her clash with Lucious for control of Empire Records is the primary plot point thus far.
Brian Glazer, another executive producer, wants to make sure that Daniels et al don't get ahead of themselves however.
"Never get corny. Completely stay authentic," he said. "As long as it stays dangerous, we're cool. As long as we can stay that way for this season, these guys can think about a spin-off, we'll be OK."
Daniels seems to be in-touch with avoiding schtick, or at least he discussed making sure that the show's guest stars don't overshadow the primary plot. It's a relevant discussion, considering all the attention that's been given in the past week to announcements that Mariah Carey and Pitbull will make appearances during Season 2. The latter emcee has been confirmed as portraying himself, however Carey's role (whether she plays herself, as many celebrities do on the show) has not been verified.
"I find that the more celebrities, the more stars I put on this show, the more it takes away from the family," Daniels said, referencing the Lyon clan. "The family, the family, the family is the most important thing."
We'll see if he chooses to explore the other side of the family more in-depth with a spinoff in the future.
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