‘Empire’ Season 3 Spoilers: Terrence Howard Teases New Episodes Will Have ‘A Lot Of Heartbreak’

Fans of Fox’s “Empire” may want to have a couple boxes of Kleenex nearby when the show returns for Season 3 next month. While reflecting on Season 2 and teasing the new episodes, Terrence Howard revealed that there’s a lot of “heartbreak” in store.

In a behind-the-scenes video posted by Variety Thursday, Howard (Lucious Lyon) and some of the crew dished on what fans can expect, and it seems like the Lyon family has some tough times ahead of them. One thing fans will see more of in the new season is Lucious’ mom Leah Walker (Leslie Uggams). In the video it’s teased that she’s going to be Lucious’ “kryptonite.”

“She’s very dangerous,” Howard says. “Because she could ultimately be a threat to his life.” Co-executive producer Malcolm Spellman also says that Lucious wants to get “control” over his family again because he realizes that his “family is the business.” As for what the new episodes will be like, Howard says in the video: “From what they’ve established thus far, there’s a lot of heartbreak to come.”

In an interview Monday, Taraji P. Henson (Cookie Lyon) confirmed that either Grace Gealey’s Anika or Kaitlin Doubleday’s Rhonda dies. Season 2 ended with one of the characters falling to their death after they got into a fight outside on a balcony. “They send us the script and then everybody’s calling each other like, ‘What? What? What?’” Henson told “Extra” when asked how the cast learned of the death. “You have to wait till September 21.”

Even though the cast is remaining tight-lipped about which character meets a grisly ending, “Empire” showrunner Ilene Chaiken told Variety at the Television Critics Association this month that it will be revealed in a “fabulous and heart-stopping way” early in Season 3.

Season 3 of “Empire” premieres Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. EDT on Fox.