The Rookie spin-off star teases new show's pilot and potential crossover plans

With The Rookie having just recently been renewed for season 9, all eyes are now on its proposed spin-off series The Rookie: North, the pilot for which has been shot, although it has yet to be officially picked up for a full season.

Thanks to Deadline, we have recently got some updates from The Rookie's North's star Jay Ellis, who, if the show comes to screens, will be seen playing Alex Holland, who joins the Pierce County Police Department as its oldest rookie.

Ellis told the publications that he has "seen the pilot twice, I think it’s great," adding that "I think you’re gonna fall in love with all these characters."

Praising his co-stars for the pilot, he said: "Janet Montgomery, Chris Sullivan, Karen Fukuhara, Froy Gutierrez, we have Mya Lowe and Malik Watson, I think that everyone dives into their characters, and you root for them or identify with them, or you’re pissed with them.

"It just feels like an ensemble that you want to sit and grab a beer with or hang out, go to a music festival with, listen to Karol G and Justin Bieber all weekend."

Ellis said that fans who love The Rookie will "love" the spin-off, and teased the potential for the new show to crossover with the original series, meaning his character could meet Nathan Fillion's John Nolan.

"If this works out, that is something that’s been floated, but I think we have to figure out how it works," he said of a potential crossover. "We’ve got to get picked up first, fingers crossed. But I would love to."

Teasing his own thoughts on the pilot and his character's journey, he said: "This character gets to do so many different things in this pilot. That shows a lot of range, it just shows the layers and complexities of humanity and who we are, while also still being entertaining. You’re rooting for this guy, and you want him to get his life together. It really hooked me."

Alexei Hawley, the creator of the original The Rookie series who has also now been working on the spin-off, recent teased that the network "seems super happy with" The Rookie: North's pilot.

He added: "You never know until you know but we have a really amazing cast, led by Jay Ellis who’s a star; it was a joy to make that with him and the rest of them.

"You know me, I’m just an optimistic person in general, so I’m hopeful and optimistic that we could be talking about that in the near future."

The Rookie airs on Sky Witness and NOW in the UK. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.

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