An 'Empire' Spin-Off Could Be Coming to FOX Much Sooner Than You Think

The spin-off-worthy character will reportedly enter the series near the end of the current season.

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Complex Original

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Walking Dead purists might very much disagree, but Fear the Walking Dead (less-than-stellar title aside) has quickly proven itself to be a valuable spin-off within the growing AMC zombie franchise. Better Call Saul, another AMC juggernaut, has also more than proven its worth as a brilliant supplement to the meth tragedy Breaking Bad. Though once considered simply an ill-advised attempt at grabbing all possible profit in connection to a successful series, the narrative possibilities afforded by a well-executed spin-off are now becoming respectable options for expanding a particular character's universe. FOX's certified smashEmpire, now in its star-stacked second season, is now considering its own entry in the spin-off races.

"If there’s a character that feels original enough, has enough momentum, and enough of a storytelling engine, we will definitely look to spin Empire off for next season,” Fox TV Group co-chief Dana Waldentells Vulture. According to Walden, this unknown character will most likely appear during the second half of the current season. "We just want to make sure the right idea presents itself to the creators, and that it’s not something that feels forced or fabricated,” adds Walden. “We’re not going to rush anything. We want the writers to stay focused on making a great season of Empire this year."

Walden's remarks, when coupled with series creator Lee Daniels' recent assertion that an extension of some sort would happen "without question," paint a very positive outlook for the future of this theoretical Empire spin-off. With the recent season premiere drawing more than 16 million viewers, an ever-expanding Empire universe seems more and more like a foregone conclusion.

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