America Ferrera May Return to Television Through 'Romeo & Juliet'-inspired Miniseries

America Ferrera is planning on developing her telenovela-inspired series with ABC.

Titled Pedro & Maria, the project is a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  Ferrera originally had a deal with MTV in 2010 to air the series, which is reportedly interactive in nature. 

Ben Silverman, who became a hitmaker for such shows as The Office and The Biggest Loser, will produce the series.

Here's the official synopsis for the series:

"Pedro and Maria are two opposites cut from the same cloth caught in the trap of forbidden love. He is a second generation Dominican from the mean streets of Washington Heights. She is a Puerto Rican whose parents made millions as real estate developers. It's a clash of the haves and the have-nots, of Main St vs. Wall St, set against a volatile cultural backdrop that fiercely believes neither side should mix with the other."

Though the series has not officially been picked up or scheduled, ABC would likely be airing it during the hiatuses of certain shows like Grey's Anatomy to bridge the gap between fall and spring.  At its upfront presentation, ABC announced that they were interested in picking up limited series for such a reason.

Ferrera would be returning to ABC after rising to fame as the title character in Ugly Betty.  The actress won an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for her performance as plucky young fashion assistant Betty Suarez.  The series aired for four seasons.

The 29-year-old acted alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in 2012's End of Watch and has lent her voice to the How to Train Your Dragon film franchise.  She won a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival for her debut acting performance in Real Women Have Curves.

Earlier in the week, Ferrera earned her degree in international relations from the University of Southern California.