Your summer TV watchlist just got longer. Premiere dates have been announced for Shonda Rhimes’ newest show, “Still Star Crossed,” and the second season of Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey’s family drama “Queen Sugar.” “Still Star Crossed” is set to debut May 29 on ABC. “Queen Sugar” will have a two-night premiere June 20 and 21 on OWN.
Based on Melinda Taub’s book, “Still Star Crossed” is a continuation of “Romeo and Juliet.” Per Variety, the series will trace the “treachery, palace intrigue, and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.” Rhimes serves as exec producer alongside Shondaland partner Betsy Beers and Mark Wilding, Michael Goldstein, and Michael Offer. Offer directed the pilot.
“Still Star Crossed” stars Ebonee Noel (“Eye Candy”), Medalion Rahimi (Ry Russo-Young’s “Before I Fall”), Lashana Lynch (“Brotherhood”), Zuleikha Robinson (Mira Nair’s “The Namesake”), Wade Briggs (“Please Like Me”), Torrance Coombs (“Reign”), Sterling Sulieman (“Veep”), and Anthony Head (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”).
Rhimes’ other upcoming TV projects include a cable comedy series based on Luvvie Ajayi’s first book, “I’m Judging You: The Do Better Manual,” and an untitled legal drama for ABC.
Meanwhile, news of “Queen Sugar’s” premiere date was accompanied with information about some of the women directors helming episodes of the new season. According to Deadline, DeMane Davis (“Lift”), Cheryl Dunye (“The Watermelon Woman”), Aurora Guerrero (“Mosquita y Mari”), and Amanda Marsalis (“Echo Park”) have all signed on to direct. Like its inaugural season, the new episodes of “Queen Sugar” will all be directed by women.
The season will reportedly be split into two parts. The first eight eps will air this summer, while the remaining installments will broadcast in the fall. DuVernay is expected to helm the season finale.
Deadline adds that Season 1 of “Queen Sugar” will be released on Hulu April 21. The streaming giant will also be home to future seasons after they’ve been broadcast on OWN.
“Queen Sugar” stars Rutina Wesley (“True Blood”), Dawn-Lyen Gardner (“Luke Cage”), and Kofi Siriboe (“Awkward.”) as siblings Nova, Charley, and Ralph Angel, respectively. Based on Natalie Baszile’s novel, the series centers on the Bordelon siblings’ struggle to revive their late father’s Louisiana farm. Its first season finale ranked as the number one cable telecast for women when it aired, delivering 2.76 million total viewers.
“Queen Sugar” is exec produced by DuVernay, Winfrey, and Monica Macer. Macer will also be the second season’s showrunner.
DuVernay’s most recent project was “13th,” an Academy Award-nominated documentary examining the U.S. prison system and its racist policies. DuVernay’s adaptation of “A Wrinkle in Time” hits theaters April 6, 2018.
You can catch Winfrey next in the HBO movie “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” The adaptation of Rebecca Skloot’s nonfiction book premieres April 22.
