Earlier this year, when asked what fans can expect from the writing staff next season, series co-creator Lee Daniels said that he would like to take audiences back to the Lyon family’s more modest beginnings, stating that he’d like to incorporate more of the poorer-class African American experience into the storyline: "I think we’ve seen the opulence… but now we have to go back to where they come from."

Well, so much for downplaying the opulence, given the first poster for season 2 (full version below) that surfaced this afternoon. To see a larger-sized version of the poster, click here.

Season 2 of "Empire" will unfold over 18 episodes (the first season had 12), split into 2 halves, premiering in the fall (instead of as a mid-season replacement, which was the case during its first season), with the second half in the winter of 2016.

What else is there to say, except, ta-daaaaa!! To see a larger-sized version of the poster, click here.