‘The Rookie’ Spinoff Gets Major Update

There’s a major update on the new The Rookie spinoff.

ABC gave a pilot order to The Rookie: North in November.

Starring Jay Ellis, the pilot follows a similar storyline to its predecessor, but takes place in rural Washington. Ellis stars as Alex Holland, who “believed his mid-life wasn’t worthy of a crisis. But after a violent home invasion ignites a dormant purpose, Alex battles a lifetime of failed commitments by joining the Pierce County Police Department as its oldest rookie. Policing from the urban coast to the rural forest where backup isn’t just five minutes away, Alex must prove to his skeptical training officer, his fellow rookies, and himself that he’s finally found something worthy of the fight.”

Along with Ellis, the pilot stars Chris Sullivan, Karen Fukuhara, Froy Gutierrez, Mya Lowe, Janet Montgomery, and Malik Watson. As ABC continues to make decisions about its 2026-2027 lineup, Fukuhara, who can currently be seen in the fifth and final season of The Boys, told Collider that she just got back from shooting the pilot in Vancouver.

“It’s a spinoff of a show called The Rookie. The original is led by Nathan Fillion, and he’s been a friend of mine for years,” she explained. “He’s just a wonderful human being. He’s so kind-hearted, so I knew stepping into this project, I was in good hands, because everything trickles down from the number one. How they conduct a set is going to be how the vibe of the crew is going to be. It’s really important to have a good number one, and we have Jay Ellis, who is at the forefront of it all. I really hope we get picked up. We find out at the end of April, beginning of May. So, I might be a Canadian again.”

Disney’s Upfronts is scheduled for May 12, so it makes sense that ABC would announce a pickup or pass for The Rookie: North very soon. As of now, it’s unclear which direction the network is heading. However, The Rookie continues to be a strong performer on ABC, and even though its last spinoff, The Rookie: Feds, was canceled after one season, the network ordering a pilot for another potential spinoff just proves that they’re still interested in expanding the franchise.

The Rookie has yet to be picked up for Season 9, but news should be revealed very soon. If anything, with ABC making a decision on The Rookie: North in a matter of weeks, the same should be said for The Rookie.