Slipping though its domination of the ratings may be, FOX’s Empire continually commands enough of an audience for creator Lee Daniels to move forward with his next music drama, the Atlanta-set Star. Pre-production on the pilot has already begun, releasing a cast list for the girl group that evidently includes a transgender woman.

Per TVLine, Lee Daniels’ new series Star will follow “the choices with which these artists are faced along the way, while showcasing the allure and heartache of the cut-throat music scene, and exploring cultural themes from a new perspective. What will they do to rise to the top?”

Online submissions have already opened for the new series, four roles of which include:

Star, an 18-year-old white woman with a “badass attitude.”

Alexandra, a black woman around the age of 20. Though she’s described as “elegant” and “classic,” she wants to abandon her “material world” in the hopes of making “real, authentic music.”

Simone, 16, is Star’s half-white, half-black sister. She’s simply described as “tragic and adorable.”

Cotton, 20, is a half-black, half-Spanish transgender woman with a “stunning look” and a “keen eye for fashion.”

Production will begin in December, while Empire continues on with its second season on Wednesdays. However Season 2 of FOX’s breakout smash fares against its predecessor, can Star keep the same shine?

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