Will The Rookie Spinoff Cross Over With Nathan Fillion’s Series? The Star Finally Answers

Let’s talk about The Rookie: North—yep, another cop show spin-off, but with a few twists that might actually make it worth your time. If you’ve been following the original The Rookie with Nathan Fillion (or, honestly, just caught a random episode at your parents’ place), ABC is hoping to bottle that same magic up in the Pacific Northwest. And after a long development period, this thing finally has a pilot and a leading man: Jay Ellis.

Jay Ellis: New Lead, New City

Here’s how it went down: ABC started developing The Rookie: North back in 2024. It took until November 2025 for them to officially order a pilot, and they got Jay Ellis (who you might know from Top Gun: Maverick) to star as Alex Holland—an older rookie cop joining the Pierce County Police in Washington State, thanks to a nasty home invasion that changed his whole life trajectory. So, if you’re thinking, ‘hmm, shades of the original but with a rainier vibe,’ you’re not wrong. This one’s set in Washington, not LA.

Waiting on a Green Light—and Maybe a Crossover

At a Deadline interview, Jay Ellis spilled a little behind-the-scenes tea on what’s happening. First, the obvious question: Will we see him and Nathan Fillion’s officer ever sharing a donut or busting perps together?

"It’s something that’s on the table, but really, we need the full series order first. I’d love to make it happen."

Network execs haven’t pulled the trigger on a full season yet—they reportedly haven’t even screened the pilot as of Ellis’s interview. If you’re reading between the lines, he’s fresh from some event and already heading into the final mix on the pilot. So, the show's fate is still hanging in the balance. (Welcome to the world of TV pilots—where everything’s up in the air until it suddenly isn’t.)

Ellis Is Actually Excited About This One

Ellis has watched the pilot twice—not usually a thing actors go out of their way to announce—and he says, flat out, it turned out 'great.' You can feel he’s not just selling the product here. Before signing on, Ellis wasn’t totally convinced; he’d never done network TV and had that ‘umm, is this for me?’ moment. He only changed his mind after reading the script and grabbing dinner with creator Alexi Hawley—yes, dinner. Hey, sometimes it just takes a good meal to seal a broadcast-TV fate:

"He won me over."

The Cast: Actually Worth Noting

This isn't just a one-man show. Ellis is seriously enthusiastic about the ensemble, dropping names and even painting a relatable image of the cast as people you'd want to hang out with—not just solve fictional crimes next to. Here’s who else is suiting up to patrol the PNW:

• Janet Montgomery
• Chris Sullivan
• Karen Fukuhara
• Froy Gutierrez
• Mya Lowe
• Malik Watson

According to Ellis, these are folks you'd grab a beer with or hit up a music festival, tunes by Karol G and Justin Bieber included. (Okay, not the playlist I expected from a cop show star, but credit for the vibe.)

No Competition With Fillion

Ellis made it clear that he’s not interested in cooking up some friendly (or not-so-friendly) rivalry with Nathan Fillion—he’s genuinely aiming for fans of The Rookie to love this spin-off, not spark a 'which Rookie is better?' argument.

Long story short: The Rookie: North has a solid cast, a lead who seems 100% bought in, and—if it actually makes it to air—maybe even a crossover with its LA cousin somewhere down the line. For now, ABC’s keeping us all in suspense. Stay tuned, or, yeah, watch this space.