Karla Souza, known for her role as Laurel Castillo on "How to Get Away With Murder," has been cast as the lead in the upcoming Texas-set spin-off of "Grey's Anatomy." Souza will portray Dr. Carolina Hall, a "haunted and cynical doctor" who runs a medical center in a small town in West Texas. This marks the first casting announcement for the yet-untitled series, which ABC describes as an "edgy drama about a team at a West Texas rural medical center — the last chance for care before miles of nowhere." The show is created by Shonda Rhimes, alongside current showrunner Meg Marinis, and is set to debut in the 2027–2028 TV season after receiving a straight-to-series order in May.

The spin-off has faced some production challenges, particularly regarding California tax credits. Despite the franchise's long history of filming in Los Angeles, the new series was rejected for tax credits twice, prompting a shift in filming location to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Executive producer Betsy Beers expressed disappointment over the tax credit situation, emphasizing the difficulties faced by the production team. The delay means that the series will now premiere later than initially anticipated, moving from a midseason launch to the 2027-28 broadcast season.S2

Karla Souza's casting is seen as a significant move for the spin-off, as she brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles, including recent appearances in "Home Economics" and the Prime Video series "56 Days." Her accolades also include two International Emmy Awards for her work in "Dive," a series she produced and starred in. With the spin-off's production now set in New Mexico, fans of the "Grey's Anatomy" franchise are eager to see how this new chapter unfolds, especially with the creative talents of Rhimes and Marinis at the helm.S1S2