Pilot Season: Heroes Alum Hayden Panettiere Joins ABC's Nashville

Heroesalum Hayden Panettiere has landed one of the leading roles in ABC's Nashville pilot, TVGuide.com has confirmed. Deadline first reported the news.

The drama is a family soap set against the backdrop of the Nashville music scene that follows two musicians, one who's already a star and the other who's on the rise (Panettiere). As previously announced, Jonathan Jackson, Powers Boothe, Robert Wisdom, Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio will also star.

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While Panettiere is best known for playing the impervious cheerleader on Heroes, she also recently starred in Lifetime's Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial In Italy and in the film Scream 4.

Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise) and RJ Cutler will write and executive-produce Nashville.