Fox Shortens Empire's Final Season Due to Coronavirus Concerns

Fox's popular hip-hop-themed drama Empire is one of many TV productions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, Fox has now taken the drastic step of ending the series early and canceling the final two episodes. As reported by The Wrap, work has permanently halted on the penultimate episode of Empire's sixth and final season. Fox now lists Season 6, Episode 18 as the series finale, despite ordering a 20-episode final season. A source tells The Wrap that, rather than resume filming after the pandemic has resolved, the filmmakers will attempt to incorporate existing footage from Episode 19 into Episode 18 in the hope of creating a cohesive finale episode. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-tv-show-cancelled-or-announced-to-be-ending-in-2020&captions=true"] Fox has yet to release an official statement on the situation, though a teaser trailer for Episode 16 refers to it as the start of "the shocking final three episodes of Empire." This looks to be an unfortunate end for what was once one of Fox's most-watched series. In addition to a sharp ratings decline in recent years, the series has been beset with scandal after actor Jussee Smollett was accused of staging a hate crime against himself. Smollett's character was eventually written out of the final two episodes of Season 5, and Smollett hasn't returned for Season 6. This abrupt cancellation could be a worrying sign of things to come for the TV industry. With the pandemic bringing so many projects to a halt, Empire may be one of many shows to cut their current seasons short rather than complete filming later. Hollywood faced a similar problem in 2008 when the WGA strike forced a great many shows to end production early, affecting everything from Lost to Friday Night Lights. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/30/netflixs-oscar-worthy-original-films-you-need-to-watch"] The silver lining in this situation is that many actors and filmmakers are finding other ways to entertain fans even while the cameras stop rolling. Scrubs stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison have started a new podcast, while Zack Snyder released a revealing new director's commentary track for Batman v Superman. Let us know what you think of Empire's abrupt end in the comments below. And learn how you can stay safe and help out during the COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

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