Taraji P. Henson, star of Empire as Loretha "Cookie" Lyon, is set to anchor a new spinoff on Fox. Empire follows the drama of Empire Entertainment, a hip hop label founded by the Lyon family. In addition to Henson, the series featured performances from Terrence Howard, Bryshere Y. Gray, Jussie Smollett, and Trai Byers as other members of the Lyon family, each vying for control and influence over the company. Empire's sixth and final season concluded on April 21 2020.
Empire was an immediate hit when it premiered on Fox in 2015, becoming the fifth most-watched series on TV for each of its first two seasons. Following the success of other series like Glee and Nashville, Empire was a heavily music-oriented show, featuring original music in many episodes, and enlisted music producer Timbaland to serve as Executive Music Producer for the shows first two seasons. In addition to its music, the series also drew continued praise for the performance of Taraji P. Henson, who earned a Golden Globe Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award for her performance, as well as two Emmy nominations.
With Empire finished, Cookie Lyon could live on in a spin-off series. According to Variety, Henson has signed with 20th Century Fox Television for a two-year first-look deal to develop a spin-off centering on Cookie. The potential spinoff will also be co-produced by TPH Entertainment, Henson's production company. Henson said in a statement, "I believe that normalizing stories around stigmatizing matters will make them more palatable for audiences to embrace. Art can change perception, and I plan to develop projects that can help further the conversation." Carolyn Cassidy, President of 20th Century Fox Television, added, "With 'Empire" finished, we look forward to helping [Henson] explore stories that need to be told through her talent and advocacy." While details of the spinoff are scant at this point, the potential spinoff will follow "what's next for Cookie."
The news of the potential spinoff comes on the heels of a somewhat unfinished final season of Empire. While the series' sixth season was intended to be the last, the show was forced to shut down production during its penultimate episode due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although the series has officially concluded, it ended without having filmed or aired the intended finale. The series was also dealt a major shakeup during its fifth season when main cast member Jussie Smollett was fired after being involved with a high publicized and highly controversial alleged assault in Chicago in 2019.
Given all the obstacles Empire has encountered, a spinoff seems to be the logical way to continue Cookie's story and wrap up some of the show's unfinished elements. If anyone on Empire is up to the task, it is undoubtedly Taraji P. Henson. The multi-talented star has demonstrated her ability to blend entertainment with advocacy not just on Empire, but in films, such as Hidden Figures, the story of three Black women who helped NASA win the space race. Henson's performance was a highlight on Empire, and audiences can rejoice over the potential of seeing Cookie earn the ending she truly deserves.
Source: Variety