Sofia Vergara's 'Killer Women' Adaptation, Kyle Killen Drama Score Pilot Orders at ABC

Sofia Vergara

ABC is expanding its relationship with Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara -- ordering to pilot an adaptation of Argentine series Killer Women -- and is adding a drama from Awake creator Kyle Killen.

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Killer Women is a soapy procedural revolving around a female Texas Ranger, with the Modern Family star attached to executive produce the hour-long project. The project landed at the network with a script commitment in October.

The drama is based on the POL-KA Productiones' Argentine series Mujeres Asesinas, which itself is based on the book trilogy of the same name by Marisa Grinstein.

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Hannah Shakespeare (The Raven) will pen the pilot script and executive produce alongside feature director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), Vergara and her Latin World Entertainment partner Luis Balaguer.

The drama hails from ABC Studios and Electus, with Ben Silverman also on board to executive produce. It marks Electus's first pilot order this season; the company has a pilot presentation for a semi-autobiographical Jessica Simpson comedy set up at NBC.

Worth noting: ABC also has a semi-autobiographical comedy from Vergara's Modern Family co-star Ty Burrell awaiting word on its future. Burrell co-wrote the script with his brother, Duncan Burrell.

For its part, Killen's Influence is being billed as a provocative workplace ensemble centered on the complicated relationship between two brothers who head a unique agency designed to attack their clients’ problems using the real science of human motivation and manipulation.

The pair of dramas becomes the network's sixth and seventh pickups this pilot season, joining a legal drama from House creator David Shore, among others. 

Killen, who wrote the Mel Gibson/Jodie Foster film The Beaver, is repped by WME, Anonymous Content and Lichter Grossman; Vergara is repped by CAA and Hansen Jacobson; Shakespeare is repped by CAA, Silent R Management and Felker Toczek.