Posted in: CBS, Paramount+, TV | Tagged: cia

CIA Showrunner Departs CBS's Tom Ellis-Starrer; Production Paused

More big changes for CBS's Tom Ellis (Lucifer)-starring CIA, with showrunner Warren Leight (Law & Order: SVU) departing and production paused.

Though CBS's Tom Ellis (Lucifer)-starring CIA had started production, it's what's been going on behind the scenes that's been making headlines. Back in July, we learned that Warren Leight (Law & Order: SVU) has taken over as showrunner from David Hudgins. Recently, the news hit that Michael Michele (The Equalizer) had exited the series, followed shortly after by the news that Eriq La Salle had parted ways as an executive producer (La Salle directed and served as an executive producer on the opening episode). Now, Variety is reporting that Leight has stepped down as showrunner, with sources noting that Mike Weiss (FBI) is being eyed to also serve as showrunner on the series. During the change in showrunners, production has hit the pause button, but isn't expected to impact the show's midseason premiere.

Starring Ellis, Nick Gehlfuss (Chicago Med), and Natalee Linez (Chicago P.D.), CBS's CIA spotlights two unlikely partners – a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer, Hart Hoxton (Ellis), and a by-the-book, seasoned and smart FBI agent (Gehlfuss) who believes in the rule of law. When this odd couple is assigned to work out of the CIA's New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil. Along the way, they find that their differences may actually be their strength. Linez stars as Gina Rojas, a trusted CIA analyst on the team.

CIA: Tom Ellis Offers Early Thoughts on CBS Series

While promoting his Netflix film The Thursday Murder Club at the end of August, Ellis was able to offer an update on how production was going and some insights into the series. "We haven't started yet," Ellis shared with Collider, adding that filming was set to get underway the following month. "We start shooting in September because we're going to be a midseason." In the following highlights, Ellis offers a more detailed production update, high praise for Dick Wolf Productions, and explains how the series will be something different from what viewers may expect from a Dick Wolf series.

"We haven't done a pilot, which is a really strange experience for me. That normally is your time for finding your character, finding out what the show is, experimenting with tone, and all those different things. We haven't got there yet. But the script is in a really great place. They're still casting at the moment. We're trying to find the person I'm going to play opposite, essentially," Ellis shared. "What I would say is that I've had a great time with the people from Dick Wolf Productions. They've been incredibly enthusiastic and supportive about what we're doing. I think there is a shared feeling that we would like to really make our mark as a show. I think initially we were going to be a spin out series from 'FBI.' The more it's gone on, I think we're actually gaining our own identity."

"There will be some differences in this show to a lot of the other Wolf shows," Ellis continued. "We're trying to lean a lot more into character stuff. The central relationship between my character and the FBI character is going to be very much a driving force for the show. Even though we're going to be a case of the week type of procedural, we're going to spend a bit more time with our main characters than they traditionally do on a lot of these Wolf shows. I'm really looking forward to starting. I don't know physically how different it will be. I'll get to do a lot of running and jumping. The key to it, like anything, is finding the tone. What's the sweet spot of this show? It will be a different procedural to Lucifer, that's for sure. The character of Lucifer was able to satirize this genre. This will be a lot more grounded, in that sense. I'm really excited about starting. I think it's going to be really interesting."

Stemming from Universal Television (a division of Universal Studio Group), Wolf Entertainment, and CBS Studios, CBS's CIA is executive produced by Dick Wolf, Showrunner David Hudgins, Nicole Perlman & David Chasteen, and Peter Jankowski. Eriq La Salle is set as director and as an executive producer of the first episode.

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