ABC has set the female leads for two upcoming pilots.
First, Odette Annable (“Breaking In”) is set to join Bruce Greenwood (“The River”) in the network’s drama-soap pilot “Venice,” from writer Byron Balasco, director McG and executive producer Ilene Chaiken.
Inspired by “Romeo and Juliet,” the pilot takes place in Venice, California where two rival families — the Nances and the Carvers — compete for control of the city. Amid this turmoil, boutique owner Sophie Nance (Annable) falls for Chris, a member of her family’s hated rivals the Carvers, according to Deadline.
Greenwood will play Sophie”s dad Gordy Nance, the big cheese of the Nance family, while Jennifer Beals will play the captain of the Carver clan.
Meanwhile, Deadline also reports that Andrea Anders has been tapped to play the female lead in ABC’s comedy pilot “Divorce: A Love Story,” produced by Sony TV ABC Studios, directed by Pam Fryman, and written by Mike Sikowitz and Daniel Lappin
Based on an Israeli format, “Divorce” follows the recently-divorced Kenny and Robin (Anders), who for better or for worse, just can’t seem to get each other out of their lives.
Anders previously starred on ABC’s “Better Off Ted” and “Mr. Sunshine.”