The end of Empire It may have been just a springboard for a large number of cookies.
Developing a spinoff of Danny Strong and Lee Daniels created the iconic matriarch of the series is the first order of business in a new first-look deal that Taraji P. Henson has signed with 20th Century Fox TV.
To that end, the Golden Globe winner and Emmy and Academy Award nominee, Henson has partnered with Working Title alum Christine Conley to direct the latter to lead her newly formed TPH Entertainment.
Upon leaving the door, the long-rumored Cookie series will be written and edited by Strong, Stacy A. Littlejohn, and Yolonda Lawrence. With Empire Vet Sanaa Hamri is set to lead, the trio will serve as co-showrunners in the spin-off if Henson, Daniels, Hamri, Brian Grazer and Samie Falvey EP’s EP-LA project will be a pilot. Strong renewed his own deal with 20th Century Fox TV last year and has several projects underway with the Disney-owned unit.
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Even before the coronavirus-induced pandemic before the expected conclusion of a once blockbuster EmpireIn Fox’s sixth and final season in April, both Henson and Daniels made no secret of their shared desire to see the Cookie saga continue. “I don’t know what that is and I’m not part of it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone tried to work on something.” Empire Showrunner Brett Mahoney claimed in the spring of the possible spin-off.
And now they are.
“I think normalizing stories about stigmatization will make them more palatable to the public,” Henson said today of the new two-year contract and TPH.
“Art can change perception and I plan to develop projects that can help foster conversation,” added the Hidden Figures star. “I also intend to help cultivate and establish new young talents and their stories because they are our future and deserve a voice and a platform to be heard. I’m so excited that the 20th, led by the talented Carolyn Cassidy, will support me in this new endeavor! ”
And with more Empire on the menu, 20th is clearly very excited too.
“We were fortunate to have a front row seat for Taraji’s meteoric rise as a fixture on television through Empire,” 20th Century Fox TV President Cassidy said Thursday. Through that relationship, everyone in the company appreciated his passion for storytelling and his strong creative instinct. With Empire finished, we look forward to helping her explore stories that need to be told through her talent and advocacy. ”
In addition to an Empire spin-off, Henson and TPH Entertainment’s deal with 20th will also include other multi-platform projects.
Taraji P. Henson is represented by UTA and the Ziffren Brittenham Law Firm. Former Title TV Vice President Conley is represented by attorney Patti Felker.
