(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Today Variety broke the news that Fox has picked up two new series for the 2016-17 TV series. The first one is a spin-off the 2000’s megahit 24. There’s been talk of this going on for a while, but now it’s official! 24: Legacy is set for 12 episodes this fall. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) won’t be in it – this is an all new cast and circumstance.
The lead role for 24:Legacy will be played by Corey Hawkins from the movie Straight Outta of Compton. Sutherland will be an executive producer though, and the visual style and storytelling methods will be just like in the original series. (Sutherland is going to be busy! He’s also lined up to star in a conspiracy theory thriller over at ABC called Designated Survivor!)
Now, what is this about royalty? For the new Lee Daniels project, Star, Fox has signed Queen Latifah! (Don’t worry, Empire fans, that show is still his baby – he’s just become a father of two!) The show has been picked up for 13 episodes! Star, like Empire, will be about the music business and feature original music and musical scenes – but from the artists side.
Deadline gave a breakdown of the show’s plot back in December. Star will be following the path of three young female singers who form a girl group. The three girls – Star, Alexander, and Simone (Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny and Brittany O’Grady) – are navigating the music business while dealing with their own challenges. The show will be based specifically on the music business in Atlanta. (Kind of like ABC’s Nashville is focused on the music coming out of a particular place.)
Queen Latifah anchors the cast as Carlotta, the owner of an Atlanta beauty salon, with an amazing voice, who will become a surrogate mother to the three girls — even though she doesn’t approve of their musical dreams.
The last time Queen Latifah was on Fox it was in the 90’s hit comedy, Living Single. During that same period they also had the cop drama New York Undercover which starred Malik Yoba. Yoba recently played Vernon Turner on season 1 of Empire. It looks like what goes around comes around – in a good way!
