ABC FINISHES CASTING FOR ROMEO & JULIET SEQUEL EPIC TV SERIES 'STILL STAR CROSSED' WITH TORRANCE COOMBS, ANTHONY HEAD, GRANT BOWLER, WADE BRIGGS

'STILL STAR CROSSED' EPIC

'ROMEO & JULIET' TV SEQUEL

Now, here's an extreme example of the current trend of diversity in Hollywood: a new historical series in which the young nobles of the 16th century Verona will be played by black actors! What do you say about that? ABC has finished casting actors for their new epic series STILL STAR CROSSED with the pilot ready to start shooting this month.

The small screen adaptation of the book by Melinda Taub, STILL STAR CROSSED is set in 16th century Verona and picks up where William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet left off, charting the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.

TORRANCE COOMBS, ANTHONY HEAD, GRANT BOWLER STAR

This time the story will revolve around Rosaline (Lashana Lynch), an intelligent and headstrong Capulet and Juliet’s cousin who is taken in by the Capulets after her parents die, forced to suffer her aunt's cruelty as a servant, and then ordered to marry dangerous and deadly handsome Benvolio (Wade Briggs), a Montague, who is against it at first but will later on fall in love with Rosaline who is smart, although not beautiful. Since they're dead, Romeo and Juliet will appear only in flashbacks, and will be played by Danish actress Clara Rugaard and British black hunk Lucien Laviscount. Among the more famous names in the cast, Anthony Head plays Lord Capulet. Kind and powerful, Lord Capulet is a thoughtful man with a sunny, jovial disposition. However, he will turn on you if you cross him. ROME's Zuleikha Robinson is his evil wife Lady Capulet. His fellow SyFy star Grant Bowler will play rival Lord Montague, scary, rugged, ruthless and brilliant man hellbent on raising his family’s fortunes, no matter the cost. Meanwhile, magnetic Torrance Coombs, who left CW's REIGN in which he played French prince Sebastian, will be prince again, this time Paris, the chivalrous and seductive Count of Mantua, who was betrothed to Juliet before she died. Dan Hildebrand will play Friar Lawrence, who uses the church to climb the social ladder. Sterling Sulieman will be Prince Escalus, while Medalion Rahimi will play Princess Isabella, intelligent, outspoken and practical with inner steel. Ebonee Noel will play Rosaline's younger sister Livia,