By Michaela Gordoni
THE ROOKIE NORTH will begin filming its first pilot soon.
The spinoff of THE ROOKIE series, one of the most streamed dramas, is currently under development with ABC, Lionsgate Television and 20th Television. The franchise’s creator and showrunner, Alexi Hawley, is writing the pilot.
“I think we are looking at shooting a pilot in the spring or late winter, so we are gearing up for that,” Hawley told Deadline recently.
ABC will review the pilot and decide whether or not it wants to move forward with the show, Screen Rant reported. Another ROOKIE spinoff, THE ROOKIE: FEDS, was cancelled after just one season in 2023.
The show is set in Washington state, and it may depict a protagonist that joins the force later in life. Cinema Blend said the pilot is taking a while to produce after casting setbacks, and it’s unclear who will star in the series. ABC is looking for a well-known actor to take the lead — the show may be about a rookie, but ABC doesn’t want a rookie actor.
Related: ABC Greenlights New THE ROOKIE Spinoff, Set in Washington State
Also, no one wants the script to be rushed, especially after the last spinoff ended so soon.
Meanwhile, THE ROOKIE Season 8 is currently filming.
Season 8 will star returning actors Nathan Fillion, Mekia Cox, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Melissa O’Neil, Eric Winter, Miles Penn, Jenna Dewan, Shawn Ashmore, Wesley Evers and Lisseth Chavez. No new cast has been announced just yet, per TVLine.
Hawley told TVLine that there’s only a slight time gap between Seasons 7 and 8.
“I don’t think it’ll be months later,” he said. “I think it’ll be fairly continuous — not literally next day, but within a fairly short amount of time.”
After all, “There’s some time-sensitive stuff that we left hanging, that feels like we should [resolve soon] for the audience,” he added. “I don’t think we should jump forward too far in time.”
Fans were left hanging in Season 7 when Tim shared his love for Lucy, who falls asleep while he’s talking after a late-night shift.
Fans “should be able to appreciate that a corner has been turned,” said Hawley. “[But] I do think that the conversation should be had, ultimately. The audience expects that and wants that.”
He also said he knows Lucy’s night shift will “get old fairly quickly,” he added. “So it’s on us to figure out a way to move past that at some point.”
THE ROOKIE Season 8 will come out next year.
Read Next: THE ROOKIE Spinoff Gets Promising Update
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