‘The Rookie: North’ Casts Jay Ellis as Lead — Nathan Fillion Welcomes Him to Spinoff
UPDATE (11/25/2025):
The Rookie spinoff is one step closer to being a reality.
The Rookie: North has cast Jay Ellis as the lead character, Deadline reports. With that, ABC has picked up the pilot (it would still have to be ordered to series to make it onscreen).
Ellis will play Alex Holland, who’s following a similar path that The Rookie lead John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) did, becoming a cop later in life and the oldest rookie in a police department, this one in Washington state. According to the official description, “Alex Holland 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 5-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.”
Ellis also shared, along with the announcement, a video on Instagram of Fillion. “Mr. Ellis, Mr. Jay Ellis. Hi, I’m Nathan Fillion. You may know me from such shows as The Rookie or The Rookie or maybe soon to be a guest on your Rookie spinoff,” he said in the video. (Crossovers are probable, given how they worked and continue to do so with cast members from the since-canceled Feds.)”Jay, I just wanted to say thank you for coming to do this little spinoff. I also wanted to say welcome,” Fillion said. Watch it below.
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The Rookie: North is executive produced by Alexi Hawley, Nathan Fillion, Mark Gordon, Bill Norcross, and Michelle Chapman. In addition to playing the lead, Ellis is slated to be a producer.
Original Story (7/2/2025):
It sounds like the potential new spinoff from The Rookie is getting closer to becoming a reality.
An order for a pilot for The Rookie North, from the original series’ creator Alexi Hawley, “has been gaining momentum,” according to Deadline. They’re waiting on the casting of the lead, with “a handful of known actors … approached for the role.”
The outlet also has new details about the potential spinoff’s plot and lead character. It’s to be set in Washington state, and while it was going to be similar to Nathan Fillion’s John Nolan becoming the oldest rookie in the LAPD when he changed careers, new casting notices for the lead reveal that the character, “tentatively named Alex [is] a former overachiever who becomes a rookie cop after his life did not go as planned.” The show would also include training officers, rookies, and a police chief.
When TV Insider spoke with Alexi Hawley in May about The Rookie Season 7 finale, we got an update on the spinoff. He revealed, “There’s a script that I’ve been going back and forth with ABC about. They give notes and I do the work and I’m an ever-hopeful human being. And so I would love nothing more than to expand the universe and go make it. So we’ll see. I don’t know. I mean the business right now is a little what it is, but I mean, I remain hopeful. We’ll see what happens.”
He added that his plan was for the potential spinoff to be “another patrol show set somewhere else. All I can really say is, I think the magic of Rookie does live in the fact that anytime they get out of their police cars, anything can happen. And I think that that’s something that I would try and replicate in a spinoff.”
News first came of this potential spinoff in December 2024. It follows the one-season run of The Rookie: Feds, which saw Niecy Nash play the oldest rookie in the FBI academy who was assigned to the Los Angeles field office. Feds cast members have continued to appear on The Rookie even after its cancellation.
“There was a conversation with ABC after the sad cancellation of Feds about whether I could keep them in our universe. They’re phenomenal and if those actors are available—and there’s going to come a time where they’re not, they’re so good—I want to keep them in our world,” Hawley told us after the Season 6 finale, which saw some of the agents appear. He waited to bring them back at that point because “I wanted to let that [cancellation] sort of breathe a bit, but then it’s about what’s a story worthy of seeing them again.”
He noted at the time how much scheduling comes into play. “I definitely want to use them where it’s most impactful story-wise. I don’t want to waste their time and have them show up for one scene,” he explained. “But yeah, I’d love to use them for the rest of our life as Rookie.”
What would you want to see in a new Rookie spinoff? Let us know in the comments section below.
Conversation16 Comments
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O
This sounds good but they should never have cancelled The Rookie Feds.
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B
The rookie feds would have been good, but the lead actor was off-putting, they should have found a way to save it and change the lead actor
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G
Not so much. Instead of another rookie show how about some better plots and story lines. The same villains are getting extremely boring. Freshen it up a bit
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G
If they do it in Everett then lots of interaction with Canada as well as lots of wilderness stuff while still big city stuff . The area East of Puget Sound includes lots of cities so it could be really intersting. It would include tribal issues too.
Seattle would be awful though.
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O
Doesn't sound good they should finish the rookie or extend it! There's so many subplots going on in there I'm waiting for everything to come to an end or a new beginning or something! Going to Washington State and having the exact same thing having to exact same kind of person to have the exact same outcome is stupid! Continue and or finish the rookie I miss John I miss his wife I miss all of the characters! And I'm really wondering what happened to the dude that was in jail and got out I forget his name cuz it's been so long since I've seen it! And John's brother pete! There's so many unanswered questions! A loyal loyal loyal rookie fan!
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R
Rather see something new, instead of rehashing a current series. It seems like today the network have no imagination except to refresh existing series by changing casts and locations
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G
Anything but Niecy Nash! I didn't like her or her acting. She's probably the reason why they canceled The Rookie Feds. Jmo
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R
In The Rookie Feds the cast failed almost entirely, I think that The Rookie is a series that should not have a spin-off because they are all going to be similar (just like the 911 spin-offs) I prefer that in the original series they leave the regulars and introduce characters that are the rookies like they did with Aaron Thorsen, Celina, Penn or Ridley, that way they can introduce new actors and actresses, maybe with one of those former rookies training to be an instructor, sooner or later we will see Grey as captain and Tim as Lieutenant, Lucy is already a Sergeant and I suppose that in the end we will also see Nolan promoted. The Rookie is a show that can last for many years because it has a lot of versatility.
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B
Rookie North?! As in San Francisco?! That’s exciting!!
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O
Sorry but they said of rookie North would be in Washington state that's pretty far north and from what I read on the narrative it would be the exact same thing as La exact same characters everything and overachiever starting a new life just like John but it would be in Washington state! Doesn't sound good to me
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R
I am just waiting for the next year to watch the Rookie. Personally I would rather Alexi put real effort into another season then work on other spinoffs. I really believe Rookie fans will grab it up immediately
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T
Have Oscar hiding out in Washington state and Nolan and Penn go there to Liason with local law enforcement and the newest rookie!!
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B
They announced filming in Vancouver, Canada which is technically north of Los Angeles, but not technically in Washington state.
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B
What about all the other actors & storylines that aren’t finished? This isn’t right. Liked all the characters & most of where everywhere things were heading! This is stupid. Cutting everyone out but Nathan.
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A
So many viewers are negative. The original Rookie have had a lot of good story lines. A lot of the other spinoffs are a lot better then the reality crap that is on the other stations.
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G
Garza should retire from the FBI and become the police chief of this department. That way there’s someone already established in the rookie universe, who’s accepting a position and in a sense a rookie to policing
The Unknown Preacher L.A.
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