S.W.A.T. Exiles

S.W.A.T. Exiles
Genre
Based on
Characters
by Robert Hamner
Developed by
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
Camera setupSingle-camera
Production companies
Original release
NetworkStarz
Related

S.W.A.T. Exiles is an upcoming American action drama series, that serves as a spin-off of the 2017 television series S.W.A.T.. Jason Ning serves as the series' showrunner, with Neal H. Moritz and Pavun Shetty of Original Film, Moore, Ning, and past S.W.A.T. executive James Scura executive producing.[1]

In May 2025, after the cancellation of the original series, it was reported that Sony Pictures Television would be producing a spin-off of the series, to be titled S.W.A.T. Exiles, with Shemar Moore set to reprise his role of Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson and production to commence in mid-2025 in Los Angeles with the entire crew of the original series.[2] Sony Pictures Television ordered ten episodes, yet did not initially sign any domestic or international partners for distribution. Filming for the series commenced in September 2025 in California.

S.W.A.T. Exiles is expected to premiere on Starz on September 25, 2026. In August 2026, the series was renewed for a second season.

Premise

"After a high-profile mission goes sideways, Daniel 'Hondo' Harrelson is pulled out of forced retirement to lead a last-chance experimental S.W.A.T. unit made up of untested, unpredictable young recruits. Hondo must bridge a generational divide, navigate clashing personalities, and turn a squad of outsiders into a team capable of protecting the city and saving the program that made him who he is."[3]

Cast and characters

Main

  • Shemar Moore as Sergeant II Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr., a Los Angeles native and former LAPD SWAT Team leader who returns from retirement after a mission goes sideways to lead a team of younger recruits with one last chance in a "culture generation clash of Gen X versus Gen Z."[4]
  • Ronen Rubinstein as Jude Callan[3]
  • Freddy Miyares as Ethan Cole[3]
  • Zyra Gorecki as Cassidy Han[3]
  • Lucy Barrett as Samantha Bishop[3]
  • Adain Bradley as Malik Henderson[3]

Guest

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten by [7]Original release date
1TBAKevin Tancharoen[8]Jason NingSeptember 25, 2026 (2026-09-25)[9]

Jon Cowan, Alexandra McNally, and Jen Graham Imada & Cindy Chu, Kendall Lampkin also wrote episodes of the season.[7]

Production

Development

Following a string of early renewals, S.W.A.T. was canceled in May 2023 after six seasons, only for parent network CBS to reverse the decision days later with a pickup of what was announced at the time as a seventh and final season.[10] In May 2024, S.W.A.T. was renewed for an eighth season.[10] Former executive producer Shawn Ryan first had the idea for a spin-off series amidst the renewal-and-cancellation turmoil as a backup plan, but would not be participating in the new project due to an overall development deal with streaming service Netflix.[4] On March 6, 2025, it was announced that S.W.A.T. would be cancelled for a third and final time, with CBS opting to not even consider entering preliminary renewal discussions.[10] Described as "Same quarterback, new team", the new show was announced less than two days later. Original network CBS was not informed of the announcement ahead of time, and Moore called his old castmates with the news before the announcement was released.[11]

According to studio sources in a Deadline article, Sony TV opted to circumvent a typical development structure for the show and instead fast track it to series because of the short window it had to keep Moore, the S.W.A.T. soundstages, and more than 200 crew members. It also wanted to put the project in front of international buyers at the May 2025 LA Screenings.[11] Both fans and the original cast of the show found the news to be bittersweet, as popular co-starring character Sergeant II David "Deacon" Kay (played by Jay Harrington), among others, had not been asked back.[11][12][13]

In an interview with TVLine, Harrington stated, "It was the day before. [Moore] reached out to all of us to say, 'This is what's going on...,' and, you know, there's talk that they'll reach out to us about stuff. He wanted to be the one to tell us, and say 'your reps will find out shortly.' That's when I told my reps, and they had no idea." He recalled Moore texting him, "'I'm around if you want to give me a call.' So I texted him later and said, 'I'm sure you did your best.' We've been brothers for years, so that doesn't change."[14][15] Harrington and co-star Annie Ilonzeh (who portrayed character Devin Gamble) have since expressed an interest in directing an episode or appearing in the new show in some capacity.[16][17] Eight-season S.W.A.T. co-star Officer III Victor Tan (played by David Lim) called S.W.A.T. "one of the greatest honors of [his] life", but also felt "stung" by the rollout of the new show, stating in an Instagram post he felt "brushed aside when there could've been a moment of reflection and recognition — for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many."[18]

On August 11, 2026, S.W.A.T. Exiles was renewed for a second season.[19]

Casting

On September 8, 2025, it was announced that Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit would reprise their roles as Sergeant David Kay and Commander Robert Hicks, respectively, in a guest role capacity in the pilot episode.[5][20] On September 9, 2025, TVLine announced Ronen Rubinstein, Freddy Miyares, Lucy Barrett, Zyra Gorecki, and Adain Bradley would join the series as regulars alongside Moore.[3] In October 2025, Sony Pictures Television released an on-set photo of Moore with the rest of the main cast to Variety, alongside an announcement that Kevin Tancharoen would direct the pilot episode.[21][8] On February 10, 2026, TVLine announced that Lim would reprise his role as Officer Victor Tan for a Season 1 guest appearance.[6]

Filming

Filming commenced in September 2025 in California, following announcements that the show qualified for California's Film and TV Tax Credit Program.[22][23] On February 10, 2026, Deadline announced shooting of the first season had concluded, with several international screenings for potential streaming and cable platform buyers to follow.[24]

Release

S.W.A.T. Exiles is expected to premiere on Starz on September 25, 2026.[9]

The show will air on Bell Media in English Canada and Quebecor Content in French Canada, Sky GSA (Germany, Switzerland, Austria), Sky New Zealand, Stan in Australia, Rai and Sky Italia in Italy, DPG in Flemish Belgium, and Tet in the Baltics.[25] The series will also air on Disney+ across Latin America, WOWOW in Japan, LG Uplus in South Korea, AXN in Spain, Portugal, Hong Kong, Taiwan and across Southeast Asia, and beIN across the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye.[25] Finally, Sony Pictures Television also struck a deal with Canal+, which will air the series across the Netherlands, Central and Eastern Europe, Poland, French-speaking African territories, and Sub-Saharan Africa via M-Net.[25]

References

  1. ↑ Porter, Rick (May 19, 2025). "'SWAT' Spinoff Starring Shemar Moore Greenlit at Sony Pictures TV". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 19, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  2. ↑ Rice, Lynette (May 18, 2025). "'S.W.A.T.' Spinoff Planned By Sony With Shemar Moore Set To Reprise His Role As Hondo". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 19, 2025. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Swift, Andy (September 9, 2025). "S.W.A.T. EXILES Reveals Full Spinoff Cast, Including 9-1-1: Lone Star Vet". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 11, 2025. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Schneider, Michael (May 22, 2025). "'S.W.A.T. Exiles' Explained: Sony Execs on Keeping the Franchise Alive, Where the New Show Might Live, What It's About — And Whether Other Stars Will Return With Shemar Moore (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Cordero, Rosy (September 8, 2025). "Jay Harrington & Patrick St. Esprit To Join Shemar Moore In 'S.W.A.T. Exiles' Pilot". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 10, 2025. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Luther, Rebecca (February 10, 2026). "S.W.A.T. EXILES Spinoff Taps Another Original Cast Member For Guest Appearance". TVLine.
  7. 1 2 "S.W.A.T. Exiles - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Schwartz, Ryan (October 9, 2025). "S.W.A.T. EXILES' Shemar Moore Promises A 'Better, Edgier' Take On The Franchise — See First Cast Photo". TVLine.
  9. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (June 29, 2026). "'S.W.A.T. Exiles' Lands At Starz In U.S., Sets Premiere Date As Sony TV Wraps Sales In All Major Markets". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 Andreeva, Nellie (March 7, 2025). "'S.W.A.T.' Canceled (Again) By CBS After 8 Seasons; Showrunner Calls News "Heartbreaking"". Deadline.
  11. 1 2 3 Andreeva, Nellie (May 22, 2025). "Swift 'S.W.A.T.' Spinoff: Behind The Mad Dash To Get 'Exiles' Starring Shemar Moore Off The Ground". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 22, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  12. ↑ Al-Ghamdi, Abdullah (June 3, 2025). ""It's Kind Of Our Take On Top Gun: Maverick": S.W.A.T. Exiles Team Reveals The Spinoff's Hook". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  13. ↑ White, Peter (June 9, 2025). "'Exiles': Sony Pictures Television Is "Figuring Out" If Other 'S.W.A.T' Stars Will Join Spinoff". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 10, 2025. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  14. ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb (June 4, 2025). "S.W.A.T. Vet Jay Harrington Breaks Silence on EXILES Surprise: 'I Did Not Have Spinoff on My Bingo Card' (Exclusive)". TVLine. Archived from the original on July 22, 2025. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  15. ↑ Garner, Glenn. "'S.W.A.T.'s Jay Harrington Says Shemar Moore Alerted Him About 'Exiles' Spin-Off Via Text". TVLine.
  16. ↑ Garner, Glenn (June 4, 2025). "'S.W.A.T.'s Jay Harrington Says He Was Disappointed At The Way The Spinoff Was Announced But "You Don't Get Owed Things Just Because You Put In Your Time"". Deadline.
  17. ↑ Nathani, Neha (August 15, 2025). "The S.W.A.T. Spinoff Needs To Resolve 1 Cliffhanger, Says OG Star". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on August 20, 2025. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  18. ↑ Thomas, Carly (May 30, 2025). "'SWAT' Star David Lim Reacts to Shemar Moore's 'Exiles': "I'd Be Lying If I Said the Rollout of the New Spinoff Didn't Sting"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 5, 2025. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  19. ↑ "'S.W.A.T. Exiles' Season 2". TV Insider. August 11, 2026. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  20. ↑ Otterson, Joe (September 8, 2025). "'SWAT' Spinoff 'Exiles' Adds Original Series Stars Jay Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit in Guest Roles". Variety. Archived from the original on September 11, 2025. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  21. ↑ Otterson, Joe (October 9, 2025). "'SWAT' Spinoff 'Exiles' Drops First Photo of Shemar Moore and New Cast as Filming Starts in Los Angeles". Variety.
  22. ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb (July 9, 2025). "Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on Criminal Minds, S.W.A.T. EXILES, Countdown, Georgie & Mandy, St. Denis Medical, CIA, Married With Children and More!". TVLine. Archived from the original on July 10, 2025. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Nearly two-dozen TV projects to bring in $1.1 billion to California's economy, thanks to the Governor's newly expanded Film and Television Tax Credit Program". August 27, 2025.
  24. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 10, 2026). "'S.W.A.T. Exiles' Production Wraps With No US Home; Behind Sony's Distribution Strategy That May Be Helped By 'Heated Rivalry' & 'The Hunting Wives'". Deadline.
  25. 1 2 3 Andreeva, Nellie (June 29, 2026). "'S.W.A.T. Exiles' Lands At Starz In US, Sets Premiere Date (Exclusive)".
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