Empire won't resume production after coronavirus shutdown

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https://deadline.com/2020/04/empire-...ox-1202897276/

An Empire promo Tuesday night revealed that the hit Fox drama only has three episodes left, ending with Episode 18 instead of the planned Episode 20. Empire was in the middle of filming Episode 19 when production shut down over the coronavirus crisis. "The last completed episode before the coronavirus-imposed production shutdown, Episode 18, which is scheduled to air on April 21, is now set to be the premature end of Empire," according to Deadline. "To help create a more seamless overall ending, we hear this newly minted finale will likely feature footage from Episode 19, which was halfway through filming when the health crisis paused all Hollywood production. The show’s long intended ending, the series finale Episode 20, will never see the light of day for the once blockbuster."

Empire creators express hope for a "proper" series finale

The Fox drama was only able to complete 18 of 20 of its sixth and final season episodes due to the coronavirus shutdown. Next week's season finale “was never meant to be the series finale," said co-creator Danny Strong in a statement Tuesday, noting that the April 21 episode will likely “be the last one our fans will see for a while." Strong added: “We had an ending for the series planned that we all loved, and hopefully someday we’ll be able to film it and give the series its proper conclusion. Here’s hoping this isn’t the end!” Fellow co-creator Lee Daniels also weighed in with his own statement: “I think there’s more to do with these characters, and I’m heartbroken we aren’t getting to shoot the finale we wanted — at least not yet. But you know what they say in television? Stay tuned!”