Pop Star & long-time actress Selena Gomez will be executive producing a series for Freeform, Rolling Stone reports. Freeform was formerly known as ABC Family and has developed series such as Switched at Birth, Pretty Little Liars, and The Fosters.
Currently, the series is untitled and as the title of this article indicates, the show will be a Latina version of the widely successful Empire drama series. The series has also been dubbed a “Latina Empire.” Gomez will co-produce the series with Aaron Kaplan but the singer/actress will not star on the show. Mandy Teefey, Gomez’s mother will be involved in the project. There’s no word on what exactly Teefey will be helping out with.
The drama series is inspired by Anna Cobarrubias, who is a Los Angeles high school senior. Kaplan witnesses Cobarrubias speak during the Zimmer Children’s Museum Discovery Award Dinner in November where the teen received a standing ovation after she passionately discussed about making a difference in her East LA neighborhood and her drive to surpass society’s expectations. The show is set in a low-income and underrepresented Los Angeles neighborhood and revolves around an 18-year-old who is “destined for greatness.” Cobarrubias will serve as a consultant for the “Latina Empire” project.
Aside from Gomez’s project, Freeform is also working with another famous artist. Nicki Minaj, the rapper/songwriter is developing a Kaplan-produced comedy that is based on Minaj’s childhood.
In addition to the upcoming drama series, Gomez will also team up with her mom to co-produce Netflix’s upcoming series 13 Reasons Why which is based on the young adult novel. Back in January, Gomez appeared in several sketches and performed three of her singles on Saturday Night Live. She is set to go on a North American tour for her album Revival next month. Gomez’s tour will kickoff in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay on May 6th.