When duty calls, Tom Ellis answers!
Just one month after two popular FBI spinoffs were canceled by CBS, the network is ordering a new offshoot set in the FBI universe called CIA. The show, which is slated to premiere later this year, will star the Lucifer alum as a “fast-talking, rule-breaking loose-cannon” officer in the Central Intelligence Agency.
The official snopsis reveals that Ellis also has an unnamed “by-the-book” partner, a “seasoned and smart FBI agent who believes in the rule of the law.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(824x249:826x251):format(webp)/lucifer-601-6def8ccd1ce1434b8b2881a46d50bd75.jpg)
“When this odd couple are assigned to work out of CIA’s New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, finding that their differences may actually be their strength,” the logline reads.
With David Hudgins as the showrunner, the famed Dick Wolf will executive produce the straight-to-order series, along with Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen and Peter Jankowski.
In January 2025, news broke of the new procedural, which was titled FBI: CIA.
At the time, Entertanment Weekly reported that there were slightly different plans for the show, which was expected to follow a “dedicated, strait-laced FBI agent and a street-smart CIA agent” who are “part of a new, clandestine taskforce charged with solving and preventing domestic terrorism in and around New York City.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2):format(webp)/katherine-renee-kane-FBI-082124-4-5b51dde7900447b3a7a41b3776a4bfaa.jpg)
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The announcement comes amid the cancellations of FBI: Most Wanted after a six-season run and FBI: International after lasting for four seasons.
Although the reason for the cancellations is unknown, the original FBI series has been renewed through the 2025-2027 broadcast season. It is currently in its seventh season after debuting on the network in 2018.
Wolf, the franchise powerhouse who also is a co-creator of Law & Order and creator of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, has spoken about why audiences connect so deeply with his procedurals in the past.
“Procedurals have a unique place in the landscape of television and, obviously, I’m a huge fan, because I love the storytelling,” Wolf said during a February 2019 panel discussion. “And I like closed-ended shows, which means that, if you watch for an hour, you get a complete story with a beginning, middle, and an end.”
“For the most part, the episodes are interchangeable,” he added. “It’s because it’s comfort food. It’s designed to be comfort food. It’s designed to, if you’re sitting at home, you can tune in and you’ll, if you have an hour, you’ll see a complete story.”
