Lee Daniels Says Empire Will Have A Spinoff

Lee Daniels plans to expand his “Empire.”

Daniels, co-creator and executive producer of the smash Fox drama about the tumultuous world of a record company, told TV writers that he’s already on it.

“There is going to be a spinoff from ‘Empire,’ without question," Daniels said. “There’s so much ripe story. We’ve talked about it in the room already.”

He suggested the spinoffs might focus on individual characters, notably company and family heads Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) and his longtime wife and partner, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson).

“It could be about Cookie’s family, what makes her her ,” said Daniels. “Or Lucious’ family, what makes them them .”

“Empire” became the most popular new drama of the past season, building its audience every week.

It will have 18 episodes in the coming season, up from 12 in its rookie year, and Daniels admitted that bump at first felt “terrifying.”

But executive producer Ilene Chaiken said the show’s scheduling came to the rescue.

“Empire” will run for 10 episodes in the fall, take a break, then return with eight in the spring.

“We’ll get a break to catch our breath, writers and actors,” said Chaiken. “We’re not running out of story.”

Elsewhere, Daniels seemed to have softened an earlier profane Instagram reaction to the show largely being ignored by Emmy voters.

Henson is nominated as best actress in a drama, but the only other two nominations came in minor categories.

Daniels said he hadn’t really changed his opinion on the snub, but that he preferred to focus on “the positive” of Henson’s nomination.

“If you study my Instagram, you see that there was a deep sense of twisted humor there,” he said, “and a deep appreciation for the Emmys and certainly no disrespect or sour grapes at all.”

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