Cookie-Centric Empire Spinoff Starring Taraji P. Henson Eyed at Fox
Cookie hasn’t crumbled yet!
Three months after Empire‘s anti-climactic, coronavirus-curtailed conclusion, Fox has formally put into development a spinoff starring Taraji P. Henson, TVLine has confirmed. The project is part of a new two-year overall deal the actress has inked with 20th Century Fox TV.
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Danny Strong — who co-created Empire with Lee Daniels — will serve as co-showrunner on the potential series alongside Empire vets Yolanda Lawrence and Stacy Littlejohn, per THR.
Empire wrapped its six-season run in April, but it did so somewhat awkwardly as a result of COVID-19. Production ground to a halt in March while the show was shooting Episode 19 of its 20-episode order. Consequently, Episode 18 ended up serving as the (rather unsatisfying) swan song. At the time, Strong and Daniels expressed hope that a true series finale will see the light of day after the COVID-19 crisis ends.
“We had an ending for the series planned that we all loved, and hopefully someday we’ll be able to film it and give the series its proper conclusion,” said Strong. “Here’s hoping this isn’t the end!”
EP Brett Mahoney later told TVLine that the intended conclusion — featuring a resolution to Cookie’s possible death — would see the light of day one way or another. “If we don’t actually get a chance to shoot the series finale, I think we’ll find some creative way to get [the information] out there,” he said, “whether it’s by just releasing the script or finding another way to satisfy fans.”
One thing is now fairly certain: Cookie did not die in that car bomb!
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