Star is done. Attempts to shop the Lee Daniels musical drama elsewhere after Fox axed the show have proved unsuccessful.
Lee Daniels shared the news on Instagram, just days after he initially revealed that the show had somewhat of a pulse.
Trade publications report that BET, OWN, and more recently/surprisingly, Amazon, had been approached for interest in a fourth season of the Empire spinoff.
Star’s cancellation at Fox reverberated around the industry as it was considered to be a pretty certain renewal due to its solid ratings (it was the highest-rated of canceled series for this TV season), and due to the fact that it was a spinoff of Empire, which at one point was the record-setting, most-popular series on all of television. However, Fox ordered six new series ahead of its upfronts presentation, that was a warning sign that the series could be in trouble. But why was it in trouble? After the Disney-Fox deal was finalized, this meant that Star‘s studio, 20th Century Fox TV, would now be under Disney and no longer at Fox. So this new ownership likely had a lot to do with this decision, as Fox no longer owned the series. Fox co-owns all of the new projects it ordered to series. Plus, the show is said to be costly to produce in general.
During upfronts, Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier said that it was a tough decision to cancel the show, but the network wanted to prioritize the sixth and final season of its parent series, Empire.
Led by Queen Latifah and featuring a soundtrack of original music and musical performances, Lee Daniels’ drama series Star followed three talented singers (played by Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny and Brittany O’Grady), desperate for a new start and with ambitions of stardom as they navigate the cutthroat music business on their road to success. The show also starred Amiyah Scott, Miss Lawrence, Luke James, Lance Gross, Brandy, Quincy Brown and Evan Ross. Not only were iconic and up-and-coming music industry stars series regulars in the show, the show was also known for its flurry of high profile guest stars, including Lenny Kravitz, Naomi Campbell, Paris Jackson, Patti Labelle, Gladys Knight, Monica Brown, Quavo, Missy Elliot, Teyana Taylor and more.
The series finale left major cliffhangers, with the fate of multiple characters hanging in the balance.
