LOS ANGELES — Queen Latifah is starring in a new drama pilot from filmmaker Lee Daniels, the co-creator of Fox TV’s “Empire.”

The untitled Fox pilot is about three young women trying to make it in the music industry. Latifah plays Carlotta, a beauty salon owner who becomes a surrogate mom to the trio, the network said.

After open auditions, three newcomers were cast as the aspiring singers: Jude Demorest and Ryan Destiny, both from Detroit, Michigan, and Brittany O’Grady from Washington, D.C.

The pilot, which could be the basis for a series, begins production this month in Atlanta.