'Magnum P.I.' Reboot Begins Production With Hawaiian Blessing

The cast of Magnum, P.I. is in Hawaii, but not for vacation. Production started this past week with a traditional Hawaiian blessing during a ceremony before cameras began rolling.

Actors Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton and Stephen Hill were joined by executive producer Peter M. Lenkov and the rest of the crew for a ceremony officiated by Kahu Kordell Kekoa, CBS said.

The cast and crew wore traditional royal maile leis. Kekoa led the ceremony with "Oli Aloha" (welcoming chant) and "Pule Ho'oku'u" (closing prayer).

The ceremony honored the commitment of the original series, which was filmed in Hawaii, and showed support for the new series.

Hernandez, who plays the title character, shared his own photos from the ceremony. "Blessings from above. Day one of the Magnum journey with these boys," he wrote.

"This is something I've been trying to get done for 10 years," Lenkov told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser at the ceremony. "This actually predates Hawaii Five-0."

Hill shared a photo of the "Island Hoppers" vehicles, which are references to the helicopter and van used in the original series. "This is the stuff dreams...and toys are made of," Hill wrote.

Days before production started, the Magnum, P.I. cast and crew was at San Diego Comic-Con, where they assured fans of the original series they will honor the legacy.

"If I was going to get an opportunity to reboot something, it was going to be Magnum P.I.," Lenkov told Entertainment Weekly. "As a teenager, I drew pictures of Magnum, and when I went to go pitch Tom Selleck on the idea of bringing it back, I showed him those pictures, because I didn't want him to think I was somebody who wanted to capitalize on his success."

Lenkov said his goal is to revive the private investigator genre, which has been mostly ignored by Hollywood in favor of procedurals centered on police.

Magnum, P.I. is not the only CBS series shot in Hawaii. The network also films its Hawaii Five-0 reboot there. Lenkov, who is a producer on both shows, said take place in the same universe and a crossover is possible, Deadline reports.

As for a possible cameo from Tom Selleck, that might be difficult. Selleck spends most of his time in New York, working on CBS' Blue Bloods.

"Blue Bloods is really his passion," Lenkov said of Selleck at SDCC. "That would have to be in his rearview mirror before he considers joining us."

Magnum, P.I. begins on CBS on Monday, Sept. 24.

Photo credit: Norman Shapiro/CBS