The lead start for Alexi Hawley’s next The Rookie spinoff breaks their silence on joining the procedural franchise. While The Rookie season 8 hasn’t even premiered in the 2025-2026 TV cycle, and yet, a lot has already happened in the universe that it exists in. Production for the flagship has been quietly progressing since summer, but when the new year begins, Hawley will shift his focus on launching the next installment in his procedural sandbox.
Motivated by the incredible success of The Rookie, ABC and Hawley are once again attempting to expand the franchise with the debut of its second offshoot. Titled The Rookie: North, the new venture will have the same premise as the original, but instead of being set in Los Angeles, the new story will be set in a suburban in the Pacific Northwest. With that comes the need for the PNW’s version of Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan, which has been confirmed to Jay Ellis’ Alex Holland.
In light of his casting, Ellis breaks his silence on the matter with a social media post, sharing a couple of screenshots of the news and a video of Fillion welcoming him in The Rookie franchise. The actor confirms the news in the caption, although he claims that he hasn’t been assigned a locker yet. Check out his full post below:
According to the official synopsis for The Rookie: North, Ellis’ Alex originally thought that midlife wasn’t worthy of a crisis. However, after a home invasion shook him, he decides to pursue his life’s purpose, leading him to join the Pierce County Police. While The Rookie is primarily set in the streets of Los Angeles, the spinoff will feature a different backdrop, as Alex answers calls “from the urban coast to the rural forest.” The Rookie: North is set to start filming in the late winter or early spring.
As The Rookie season 8 debuts on January, it’s curious if an early character crossover is in the books for Ellis’ show. Because the procedurals are set in different states, Hawley will have to be more creative to stage any interaction between Alex’s team and the people at Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division. The Rookie‘s original spinoff, The Rookie: Feds, was canceled after just 1 season, and while it’s difficult to pinpoint one reason for its failure, having a proper crossover could have helped its cause.
With Ellis now confirmed for the next The Rookie: North, it’s safe to say that ABC are currently busy rounding up the rest of the ensemble that would make up the new show. While Fillion’s Nolan is the titular character of The Rookie, a big part of its success also comes from the whole cast, as they are also given their respective storylines. Hawley understands this, so the next round of casting announcement for the offshoot is also something to look forward to.
The Rookie is a police procedural drama that follows John Nolan, a 40-something man who becomes the oldest rookie in the Los Angeles Police Department. Based on the real-life story of LAPD officer William Norcross, the show combines action, crime drama, and character-driven storytelling. It explores Nolan’s late-in-life career shift and the challenges he and his fellow officers face on and off the job.
