'FBI' spinoff suffers another major setback after a major name exits show
'CIA' starring Tom Ellis continues to suffer from production challenges. The latest setback comes on the back of cast member Michael Michele's exit. Eriq La Salle becomes the latest member to depart as the executive producer of the espionage thriller. La Salle made headlines as a three-time Emmy nominee for his impeccable performance as Dr. Peter Benton on 'ER.'
Per Deadline, the news of his move comes days after Michele left the show. La Salle was earlier announced as the EP and director upon news of the spinoff's development. That said, recent reports suggest the show is currently filming and is not expected to be affected despite the string of setbacks. It's worth noting that La Salle and Michelle worked together on 'ER' with the latter playing Cleo Finch, the former's love interest on the medical drama series.
The series was initially slated to release in 2025, but a change in the writing team forced the release date to be pushed to 2026. There were a slew of changes with Warren Leight ('Law & Order: SVU') replacing 'FBI: Most Wanted' executive producer David Hudgins as the showrunner. There were also plans that three major characters from the series would appear on the main 'FBI' show ahead of the spinoff.
At the time of writing, there is no word on whether Michele's character as the head of the CIA's New York Station would be recast. As for Ellis, 'CIA' marks the first major role as a leading man since his stellar run as 'Lucifer Morningstar' on 'Lucifer'.
According to the outlet, "CIA centers on two unlikely partners – a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer (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 CIA’s New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, finding that their differences may actually be their strength."
Ellis had previously shared a major update on the show hitting the floor. "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."
The show has seen changes, and there is no official release date listed at the time of writing.
