LOS ANGELES — “Empire” fans may soon have all the Loretha “Cookie” Lyons they can handle.
Actress and producer Taraji P. Henson has signed a two-year, first-look deal to develop a spinoff series focused on her larger-than-life character for Fox, Variety reported.
Taraji P. Henson Signs First Look Deal with 20th Century Fox, “Empire” Spinoff in the Works https://t.co/znLEZiPury pic.twitter.com/CG6OKpaYnA
— Melissa Silverstein (@melsil) July 23, 2020
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the untitled project will follow what’s next for Cookie and will be co-produced by 20th Century Fox TV and Henson’s recently launched production company, TPH Entertainment. Henson launched TPH in partnership with Christine Conley, the former vice president of television at Working Title.
“Empire” co-creator Danny Strong is writing the series alongside Stacy A. Littlejohn and Yolonda Lawrence, with Sanaa Hamri set to direct. Lee Daniels will serve as a non-writing executive producer alongside Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Samie Falvey, Variety reported.
“Empire” ended its six-season run earlier this year, and Henson’s Cookie was considered by many fans to be the “beating heart of the series,” the entertainment site reported, noting the role earned Henson three Emmy nominations and a 2016 Golden Globe.
“Art can change perception, and I plan to develop projects that can help further the conversation. I also aim to help cultivate and establish new young talent and their stories because they are our future and deserve a voice and a platform to be heard,” Henson said in a prepared statement, noting she is hopeful that “normalizing stories around stigmatizing matters will make them more palatable for audiences to embrace.”
Although official plot details are being kept under wraps, sources told THR that the spinoff will follow Cookie as she moves to Los Angeles and could potentially feature a few of the character’s family members.
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