It has been a long minute since Paramount+’s NCIS: Tony & Ziva spinoff was first announced. Now, to tide you over until the series’ Fall 2025 premiere, TVLine has a flurry of first photos of your favorite NCIS-verse family (and some new friends).
It was in February 2024 when Paramount+ greenlit this new offshoot of the long-running and well-watched NCIS franchise, one that reunites Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo on-screen for the first time since October 2013, as the incredibly popular pairing of Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David.
As the series opens, Tony and Ziva have been raising their tweenage daughter Tali (played by The Outlaws’ Isla Gie), together, in Paris. But when Tony’s security company is attacked, they must go on the run across Europe, trying to figure out who is after them, so that they can finally have their unconventional “happily ever after.”
Filming on the 10 episodes began last summer — on location in Budapest, the Canary Islands, and Paris, France — and wrapped in late January.
“It was surprising how Cote and I just fell into this new place with our characters,” says Weatherly, who, like de Pablo, also serves as an executive producer on the offshoot. “Informed by the past, illuminated by the present and trying to see a future together. These characters are on the adventure of a lifetime. And hopefully, so is the viewer!”
De Pablo herself said in May 2024 to “expect intrigue, romance, the background of Europe, impossible situations that will make [Ziva and Tony’s] lives very complicated.” But also, “a little something about love!”
In addition to Weatherly, de Pablo and Gie, the NCIS: Tony & Ziva cast includes British actress Lara Rossi (The Watch, Flesh and Bone) as Sophie, Tali’s SAS-trained nanny; British actress Amita Suman (Shadow and Bone) as Claudette, the CTO at Tony’s company; Maximilian Osinski (Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD) as Boris, a Russian ex-pat and one of the best/most elusive computer hackers in the world; and English actor James D’Arcy (Marvel’s Agent Carter) as Henry, a high-ranking Interpol official who has spent his career chasing international criminals.
The cast also includes French actress Nassima Benchicou (ASKIP, le collège se la raconte) as Martine, a former intelligence agent with the Directorate-General for External Security; English actor Julian Ovenden (Bridgerton) as Jonah, a former programmer for the NSA/now Secretary General of Interpol; and English actor Terence Maynard (Ridley) as Dr. Lang, a therapist who treats patients with severe traumas.
John McNamara, whose past TV credits include co-creating Profit, Fastlane and The Magicians, penned the NCIS: Tony & Ziva premiere and serves as showrunner. Other executive producers include Weatherly, de Pablo, Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain and Shelley Meals.
“I’m incredibly grateful to CBS Studios and Paramount+ for the chance to plunge these two beloved characters into a dangerous, fun, romantic, exciting chase across Europe,” says McNamara. “I’m excited to tell a single, serialized story of intrigue and espionage over 10 episodes, getting the chance to delve more deeply into Tony and Ziva’s complex relationship, their on-again, off-again romance, and the way they manage to co-parent their daughter Tali, heightened by the sudden jeopardy they all find themselves in.”
As the NCIS faithful know, Ziva bid NCIS and Tony farewell at the start of Season 11, and was reported dead toward the end of Season 13; Tony left Gibbs’ team at the end of Season 13, to go raise his and “dearly departed” Ziva’s wee daughter, Tali, whose existence he had just learned of.
Years later, in a most surprising climax to NCIS‘ Season 16 finale, Ziva revealed herself to be alive to her former boss, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, eventually completing one final mission before she reunited with Tony and Tali in Paris (off-camera).
Most recently, in NCIS‘ February 2024 David McCallum tribute episode, Weatherly made a surprise cameo as DiNozzo — seemingly solo, though Ziva and/or Tali could have simply been off-screen, also ready to head to Ducky’s funeral.
“It was always designed to be a streaming show” and not a CBS release, CBS Studios president David Stapf explained in March 2024. “Tony and Ziva, it’s one of the most unrequited love stories for the audience. So, reuniting them with a global audience” — via Paramount+ distribution — “is the intent on that show.”
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