By Mallory Mattingly
CBS may have canceled S.W.A.T., but fans don’t need to worry. A new spinoff from Sony Pictures TV called S.W.A.T. EXILES promises to even more crime-fighting action.
Shemar Moore will star in EXILES, something important to Sony execs.
“We had to make sure that we had a great creative take. That Shemar was going to be on board. And then making sure that there was a financial model that made sense,” explained Keith Le Goy, Sony Pictures TV chairman. “Is there some risk? Yeah, there’s absolute risk. This is a business that was built on people taking risks. We did what studios do, which is to measure the risk against the upside, and to bet on our ability to tell a compelling story and then to deliver that to audiences around the world.”
S.W.A.T. showrunner Shawn Ryan won’t return for EXILES, but Sony secured Jason Ning instead.
“Obviously, first we went to [S.W.A.T. creator] Shawn Ryan, but he’s not only busy producing our show THE NIGHT AGENT, but he’s also now in an exclusive Netflix deal,” Sony Pictures TV Studios prexy Katherine Pope told Variety. “So he wasn’t able to do it, but is so supportive of Shemar and the team. We talked to Jason, who we have a deal with. He dug in, and came back with a pitch that was so smart and fresh, keeping all the values of S.W.A.T., but making it something new.”
The new series will see younger characters get some action.
“…after a high-profile mission goes sideways, Daniel ‘Hondo’ Harrelson (played by Shemar Moore) is pulled out of forced retirement to lead a last-chance experimental SWAT unit made up of untested, unpredictable young recruits. Hondo must bridge a generational divide, navigate clashing personalities, and turn a squad of outsiders into a team capable of protecting the city and saving the program that made him who he is,” a synopsis reads.
“It’s a bit of a take on the culture generation clash of Gen X versus Gen Z,” Pope explained. “Where Hondo is all about duty, hierarchy and chain of command, the Gen Zers are a little more like, ‘I might need to take a mental health day. I want to talk about it. I want to understand it.’ It’s kind of our take on TOP GUN: MAVERICK.”
“How do you actually learn from each other? How do we build bridges around not just generational divides, but all forms of divide? There’s a lot of division going on in our world. If we just took some time to listen and to try and be part of a team, and what that really means, it would probably be better for all of us. Neal [Moritz] and Pavun [Shetty] loved it, then took it to Shemar, who absolutely loved it. And we were off to the races,” she said.
The time between S.W.A.T.’s cancelation and the announcement of S.W.A.T. EXILES came just hours apart.
On May 17, Moore wrote on Instagram, “To my @swatcbs FAM and FANS!!!! Thank you for riding with us and tuning in for 8 YEARS!!!!! It’s been one beautiful, thrilling, and amazing ride!!! You guys allowed us to bring these characters to life for 8 incredible seasons!!! We can’t thank you enough! Much love to each of you – Stay Liquid.”
But the very next day, he posted a video and said, “I know the sad news is we got canceled, but the good news is we don’t stop fighting. And guess what happens when you don’t stop fighting? We won! S.W.A.T. ain’t going nowhere! Hondo ain’t going nowhere! Hondo back in the building! S.W.A.T. back in the building! Say it loud, say it proud: S.W.A.T. and Hondo back in the building!”
No streamer or network is attached yet, so the premiere date for EXILES is unknown. But one thing is for certain — more high-stakes adventures are ahead for Hondo and his new team.
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