First Look: Chris Rock to Play Prison Inmate on Season 2 of ‘Empire’, Plus More Season 2 Scoop [Photos + Videos]

Production on season two of Empire is officially underway, and thanks to Lee Daniels and the show’s official Twitter handle, we have our first look from the set.

Chris Rock, who was confirmed as a season two guest star along with Alicia Keys and Lenny Kravitz earlier this year, will keep Lucious company in prison (if you recall, Lucious was arrested and jailed for murder at the end of season one) and reportedly play a man from his past. Whether Chris will be Lucious’ friend or foe is unknown.

Filming took place at Chicago’s Cook County Juvenile Detention Center.

Check out more photos and two videos from the set below.

In more Empire news, expect an appearance from the Aryan Brotherhood at some point during its upcoming season.

According to Project Casting, the show put out a casting call for talent to play members of the white supremacist prison gang for a scene to be shot in Chicago from June 22 to June 24.

In an interview with Deadline, Danny Strong, the show’s co-creator and executive producer, also says that season two will focus on “warring kingdoms.”

“If season one was ‘who will inherit the throne,’ then season two is ‘warring kingdoms.'”

Check out another tidbit from Danny’s sit-down with Deadline below.

This is a hugely-anticipated second season of Empire, how do you manage that pressure to do even better this time?

Well, I definitely don’t feel the pressure to make it more amazing or to make it better or bigger or anything like that. I think that in season one we succeeded in telling our story and that it worked, and so it’s just a matter of continuing the story, and making the story work. I find making the story work so difficult, and no one wants it to be as good as I do. So the pressure I put on myself usually exceeds any pressure I feel about anything–so it’s more of the same to be honest.

Empire returns September 23, and we. cannot. wait.