ROMEO AND JULIET Sequel Series in The Works at ABC
Spoilers for a 400-plus year old play, but Romeo and Juliet both die at the end of William Shakespeare's tragedy. But if you think a little thing like death is going to stop mega-producer Shonda Rhimes from developing a sequel series, you've got another thing comin'.
Variety reports that Rhimes — who's known for Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder — is producing a TV adaptation of Still Star-Crossed, Melinda Taub's 2013 book that is described like this:
Romeo and Juliet are gone. Will love live on? Despite the glooming peace that's settled on Verona after the recent tragedy, Montagues and Capulets are brawling in the streets. Faced with more bloody battles, Prince Escalus concludes that the only way to truly marry the fortunes of these two families is to literally marry them together. Everyone is skeptical, but none more so than the pair selected, for the most eligible Montague bachelor is Benvolio, Romeo's best friend, still anguished by the loss of his companions, and the chosen Capulet maid is Juliet's older cousin Rosaline, the girl Romeo first loved and whose refusal of Romeo's affection paved the way for bloodshed. Contrary to their late cousins, there's no love lost between Benvolio and Rosaline, yet they forge a bond to end the renewed feud not only to escape their forced betrothal, but to save their lives and the city of Verona itself.
Heather Mitchell, who writes and produces Scandal and Grey's Anatomy, will write and executive produce if it makes it to series. ShondaLand (Rhimes' production company) hasn't dealt with young adult romances yet, so this will be new territory for them. I'm guessing everyone's first reaction to a sequel to Romeo and Juliet is going to be along the lines of "Well, that sounds stupid," but Rhimes has proven to have a magic touch when it comes to ABC TV shows. Depending on casting, I wouldn't be surprised if she turns this into another long-running hit. I'll never watch it myself just because it's not really my thing, but she's been doing just fine without my viewership for the past ten years. Anyone out there intrigued by this?
