‘Modern Family’ boss says a 'significant character' will die this season

Say a prayer for the Pritchett/Dunphy clan in season 10 of Modern Family. The beloved ABC comedy will be experiencing some tragedy this year, as co-creator Christopher Lloyd reveals that a “significant character in the series” will die.

"We’re handling some bigger life events this season,” Lloyd tells Entertainment Weekly. "We do deal with death, which is certainly a topic that families have to deal with, and on television, it’s not easy to do because that’s a heavy subject. But at the same time, it would seem unusual for a family not to go through it.”

Lloyd would not confirm whether the deceased character is one of the family’s core members, but he did call the death, "a moving event -- and an event that has repercussions across several episodes.”

Modern Family boasts a star-studded cast, including Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Ariel Winter, Sarah Hyland, Rico Rodriguez and Nolan Gould.

It’s unclear whether season 10 will be the show’s final season, but Lloyd hopes to continue the award-winning series.

"There’s goodwill on both sides to make it happen, but there’s also complicated matters that have to get worked through, and there’s a time constraint on it, because we can’t have it take too long,” he says of a possible 11th season. "I’m hoping that that doesn’t make the whole thing go away, but I think there’s a decent chance we’ll see it happen. I hope there is.”

As for a season 10 teaser, Lloyd notes, "There is a significant change in the dynamics of the family that people maybe thought was going to happen at some point down the line that is happening sooner than expected.”

To find out what happens, tune into the premiere of Modern Family on Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.