Variety scoops that Smith will top the cast of the drama which is scripted by John Logan (Gladiator). Not much has been revealed about the movie's plot, but it's been disclosed that Smith will play a contemporary media mogul.

Mann's most recent directorial effort was last year's movie adaptation of Miami Vice. He mostly recently collaborated with Big Willy as producer on Peter Berg's Hancock (p.k.a. John Hancock, p.k.a. Tonight, He Comes) which stars Smith as a down-and-out superhero with a bad image who gets aid from a corporate public relations consultant.

Smith can next be seen on the big screen in I Am Legend, which opens on December 14.

Empire shares its title, but should not be confused with another in-development production, the movie adaptation of Orson Scott Card's novel of the same name that producer Joel Silver has cooking at Warner Bros