‘Empire’ Producer Says ‘There Certainly Could Be’ a Cookie Spinoff

TCA 2016: “There are potential spinoffs with Lucious and Cookie’s characters, sure,” Ilene Chaiken says

Cookie Empire
Chuck Hodes/Fox

“Empire” producer Ilene Chaiken made Cookie Lyon fans’ hearts skip a beat when she said there could be a spinoff centered on the character during the show’s Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Monday.

“There certainly could be,” Chaiken said. “We talk about it. I think the show offers so many opportunities. There are potential spinoffs with Lucious and Cookie’s characters, sure.”

Taraji P. Henson has captivated audiences in just two seasons in her role as the Lyon matriarch and executive for Empire, earning back-to-back Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe in the process.

Fans will recall that Lucious (Terrence Howard) and Cookie (Henson) spent the latter half of the second season trying to dodge an FBI murder investigation.

While it seemed like the estranged spouses would reconcile, that hope was dashed when Lucious was forced to marry Anika (Grace Gealey) in order to keep the government from using her as a witness.

But will that union last? The closing moments of the Season 2 finale saw Anika grapple with Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) near the edge of a building. As it cut to black, we heard a woman scream, but which woman was it?

Guest stars for Season 3 will include Taye Diggs, Mariah Carey, Sierra McClain, Birdman and French Montana among others.

“Empire” Season 3 kicks off on Sept. 21

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