Grey’s Anatomy announces new spinoff with familiar face as the lead of the show
The Grey’s Anatomy spin-off has officially found its leading lady, marking a welcome return to Shondaland for the actress.
Karla Souza will star in the Texas-set spin-off of the long-running medical drama, marking the first actor to join the cast.
The series, which has yet to receive an official name, comes from executive producers Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Meg Marinis and Grey’s star Ellen Pompeo.
It has been described as an ‘edgy’ drama set in a rural medical centre in West Texas and Souza will play the doctor who runs the centre, Carolina Hall.
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Fans of Shonda Rhimes’ television productions may recognise Souza from another hugely popular, boundary-pushing ABC drama. Between 2014 and 2020, she portrayed Laurel Castillo, one of law professor Annalise Keating’s (Viola Davis) students in How to Get Away with Murder. Laurel was also the daughter of a powerful crime boss who headed an organised crime empire.
The new show set within the Grey’s universe will reunite Souza with Bridgerton creator Rhimes and How to Get Away with Murder producer Beers six years after the legal drama, created by Peter Nowalk, came to an end.
Production on the new medical show will begin in early 2027 and is expected to premiere later next year or in 2028.
The Grey’s Anatomy spin-off has officially found its leading lady, marking a welcome return to Shondaland for the actress.
Karla Souza will star in the Texas-set spin-off of the long-running medical drama, marking the first actor to join the cast.
The series, which has yet to receive an official name, comes from executive producers Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, Meg Marinis and Grey’s star Ellen Pompeo.
It has been described as an ‘edgy’ drama set in a rural medical centre in West Texas and Souza will play the doctor who runs the centre, Carolina Hall.
Fans of Shonda Rhimes’ television productions may recognise Souza from another hugely popular, boundary-pushing ABC drama. Between 2014 and 2020, she portrayed Laurel Castillo, one of law professor Annalise Keating’s (Viola Davis) students in How to Get Away with Murder. Laurel was also the daughter of a powerful crime boss who headed an organised crime empire.
The new show set within the Grey’s universe will reunite Souza with Bridgerton creator Rhimes and How to Get Away with Murder producer Beers six years after the legal drama came to an end.
Production on the new medical show will begin in early 2027 and is expected to premiere later next year or in 2028.
Fans have been quick to celebrate the casting news, with many taking to Reddit to share their excitement and praise the choice. One fan described the casting as “insane” and “kinda perfect”, adding that it had left them intrigued by the project. Others echoed the enthusiasm, with one writing, “Love that for her!”, while also speculating about whether other actors from Shondaland productions might join the cast, given Shonda Rhimes’ tendency to work with familiar faces. Several fans also expressed renewed excitement about the project, particularly those who remembered the actress from How to Get Away with Murder (HTGAWM), with one declaring, “That’s a great choice! Loved her on HTGAWM,” and another adding, “YASSSS. I am looking forward to this.”
Adding to the excitement, Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Meg Marinis dropped a few tantalising hints about the mysterious new series last month. In an interview with Deadline, published following the flagship show’s Season 23 premiere, Marinis offered a sneak peek into the top-secret project, giving fans even more reason to start speculating.
“We are currently working hard on [the spinoff],” she said. “I’m just grateful that I get to create this with Shonda, it’s a dream,” Marinis said. “We’re working hard, and we’re working away, and I’m learning a lot about developing and creating a show, which I didn’t know before.”
Marinis said her experience working with Rhimes on the spin-off has been ‘amazing’.
“It’s one thing to be able to work for her but to be able to do it with her it’s really fun,” she explained. “She spins everything into gold; you send something to her and then she sends it back and it’s amazing. It’s really fun, I haven’t been able to work like this with her in a while, she’s branched out and gotten so many shows, so it’s it’s really fun. We have a great relationship.”
Topics: TV And Film, Grey's Anatomy
Greg Harris
