Shondaland is taking on Shakespeare.
A series adaptation of “Still Star-Crossed,” based on the 2013 book of the same name that picks up after Romeo and Juliet’s tragic ending, has landed at ABC from Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers and scribe Heather Mitchell, Variety has learned.
The love story follows the conflict between the Capulets and the Montagues in the wake of Romeo and Juliet’s deaths.
Mitchell, a “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy” writer/producer, will serve as writer and exec producer on the ABC Studios project in development, while Rhimes and Beers will serve as non-writing producers on the broadcast take on the young adult novel by author Melinda Taub. Michael R. Goldstein of The MrG Production Co. will also exec produce..
For Shondaland, the foray into young romance marks somewhat of a new genre, following the more mature relationships in current hits “Grey’s,” “Scandal,” “How To Get Away with Murder” and former medical drama “Private Practice.” This development season, the production company is varying its slate with a wide range of projects in the works at ABC from a Catholic nun drama, a suburban singles comedy, and a Baghdad-set military drama project from another “Grey’s Anatomy” alum.
Coming up, Shondaland has “The Catch,” starring Mireille Enos and Peter Krause, which will premiere midseason on ABC.
Mitchell and Beers are repped by UTA. Rhimes, Goldstein and “Still Star-Crossed” author Taub are all repped by ICM Partners.
