Fox orders 'Empire' follow-up from Lee Daniels

Fox is looking to expand its Empire. 

The broadcaster just announced a new drama pilot called Star, from executive producer Lee Daniels, that could serve as a companion series of sorts to the network’s breakout mega-hit. 

“Like Empire, it’s set against the backdrop of the music business but from a very different perspective,” Fox chairman and CEO Gary Newman said. “Set Atlanta, it’s about three girls who come together to form a band and it’s about their rise to the top in a very challenging business. It’s the perspective of the artist and, without getting too much into the storyline, one of our characters is rising out of poverty and there is a a lot from Lee’s own life that’s baked into the DNA of this project.” 

The possibility of a cross-over with Empire does exist, Fox chairman and CEO Dana Walden added, but the show is being conceived as a separate entity away from the hit series.

“Lee talks a lot about everything from Dreamgirls to modern-day girl groups that are manufactured, that are put together, that don’t have an organic reason to be together but are tied to each other and that set-up lends itself to a great soap operatic storytelling machine,” Walden said. “Lee loved the mixture of drama and soap and music, and thinks it’s a very potent combo. Love the idea of characters who have inherent talent who rise out of circumstance based on talent, that’s part of the American dream.” 

Complete coverage of TCA. 

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  By James Hibberd @JamesHibberd