"Empire" season 2 episode 1 airs on Fox on Sept. 23. (Photo : YouTube)
Fox kick started the new season when it screened the premier episode of "Empire" season 2 on Sept. 11, Saturday, for the jam-packed crowd at Carnegie Hall, New York.
The screening was also attended by co-creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, Taraji P. Henson, who plays larger-than-life matriarch Cookie Lyon, Terrence Howard, Ta'Rhonda Jones, who plays assistant Porsha and the actors playing the three Lyon brothers, Jussie Smollett, Trai Byers and Bryshere Y. Gray.
The after party which was followed by the screening was attended by several notable figures like Courtney Love, Marisa Tomei and Naomi Campbell, Variety reported.
Howard, who is known as Lucious Lyon in the show, made the grand entry at the venue in front of a feverish audience by pumping his fist in the air and yelling, "empire." He was met by a large round of applause from the crowd after which the screening of premier episode started.
"Empire" season 2 episode 1, which will be telecasted later on Fox on Sept. 23, picks up three months after last season's finale. Lucious is shown in jail while Cookie is leading a "Free Lucious" rally in Central Park, which has a politically charged atmosphere with scenes of same sex kisses thrown in.
Oscar winning actress Marisa Tomei also makes her entry in the premier episode. She is playing the role of a lesbian investor who is keen to take over the record label company. Lucious is still ferocious as he Skypes from prison and his evil laugh resonates in the company's conference room.
Chris Rock debuts in season 2 episode 1 as a long lost dangerous friend of Lucious with whom he reunites in prison.
The screening of the premier episode was followed by a hilarious yet intense Q&A round where Daniel and his team spoke at length about how they were pleasantly surprised at the success of "Empire" on smallscreen, New York Daily News reported.
