'Lion in Winter', 'King Lear', trash cans, and Joe Kennedy: The inspirations behind 'Empire'

[CofCinci]

Lee Daniels Says Empire Was Inspired by the Kennedys

 

Everyone Keeps Comparing Empire to King Lear, But The Lion in Winter Is Its True Predecessor

 

Lee Daniels:  “When I was 5, my earliest memory was walking down the stairs in my mother’s red high heel shoes, and my dad — he’s a cop — is down playing cards with the boys and it was not pretty — at all. He put me in a trash can and he said that I would never be nothing. He said, ‘You already have it bad, boy, cause you’re Black — now you’re a f–got too.’”

Read more at EBONY http://www.ebony.com/black-listed/entertainment-culture/lee-daniels-i-am-not-tyler-perry-981#ixzz3RA07zE1l
 

 

EDIT:  Warning...  Spoilers for 'King Lear', 'Lion in Winter', etc. may follow.

Edited February 8, 2015 by CofCinci

[aprilbabe]

I think it would be good to have a The Lion in the Winter vs Empire thread. Never seen the movie nor read the play. But from reading the description of the play you can defiantly tell Empire is based on it. Anyone who has seen or read the play have any insight.

[Rick Kitchen]

1-The mother has been in prison (in LiW, Eleanor was locked away by Henry)

2-There are three sons.  In LiW, the oldest son, Richard, is the one who's gay.  He has been sleeping with the enemy, the King of France, who asks like he isn't really gay but is using Richard as leverage against Henry.  There isn't a real Philip King of France character in Empire.  Yet.

3-The sister of the King of France has been living in England under Henry's care ever since she was young, she's intended to be Richard's bride, but she's sleeping with Henry.  She and Eleanor clash over Henry.  This is the Anika character.

[aprilbabe]

Thanks so the character that Anika's character is based on sleeps with both and son. I wonder if she'll sleep with Andre down the line. Also the synopsis of the movie that I read, said. Henry never marries Alias. So I assume lucious won't actually marry Anika.

[JBC344]

With most people knowing that it is based on The Lion in Winter I doubt that the storylines would follow the play outside of the initial setup. More like "loosely based".

[Actionmage]

I am getting Cordelia vibes from Andre in the last couple of episodes. Being the one who unquestioningly protects/loves Lucious, yet is dismissed in favor of siblings who seemingly have no deep love for their father.

[jhlipton]

There isn't a real Philip King of France character in Empire.  Yet.

 

Rhonda (Andre's wife) seems closest.  I can easily see Cookie saying "You're better at this than I thought you'd be."  

[phoenics]

With most people knowing that it is based on The Lion in Winter I doubt that the storylines would follow the play outside of the initial setup. More like "loosely based".

And isn't The Lion in Winter based on King Lear? Kinda like Bridget Jones Diary is based on Pride and Prejudice?

Lee Daniels:  “When I was 5, my earliest memory was walking down the stairs in my mother’s red high heel shoes, and my dad — he’s a cop — is down playing cards with the boys and it was not pretty — at all. He put me in a trash can and he said that I would never be nothing. He said, ‘You already have it bad, boy, cause you’re Black — now you’re a f–got too.’”

Read more at EBONY http://www.ebony.com/black-listed/entertainment-culture/lee-daniels-i-am-not-tyler-perry-981#ixzz3RA07zE1l

This made me sad.

[Scarlett45]

phoenics- "Lion in Winter" is based on medival English history, Eleanor of Aquutaine and her second husband Henry II of England. Their sons Prince John and King Richard are the Monarchs in the Robin Hood legends. The play is basically a dramatization of what went down with all of them before Henry died. King Lear has similar themes but to my knowledge Shakespeare wasn't inspired by that royal family.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Scarlett45

[aprilbabe]

You know at one point based on the Lion in the winter I thought Anika would sleep with on of the sons. But in the promo when cookie is yelling at Lucious you hear her talking about Jamal marrying Olivia. So maybe that is the women Lucious shares with one of his sons. Since in the movie Henry is sleeping with the woman promised to one of his sons (the gay one I believe)

[Actionmage]

Well, Alys was promised to Richard for land/peace/both with France. Henry was rumored to have slept with her well before she was to marry Richard. IRL, Alys was a young child sent over to live with the family until she could marry Richard. 

 

So I can see Olivia being the actual Alys stand-in  for the show. Especially as Lucious seems determined to beat Gene Simmons and Walt Chamberlain's supposed totals of "romantic encounters." With women!