Bosch's Renée Ballard spinoff gets a new update, confirming when filming on the upcoming series will conclude. Though the original series, based on the books by Michael Connelly, concluded in 2021, Titus Welliver's titular LAPD homicide detective, Harry Bosch, returned in Bosch: Legacy in 2022. Bosch: Legacy season 3 is set to conclude the revival series next year, but it will also pave the way for a spinoff focusing on Ballard, a cold case detective set to be introduced in the season 3 finale played by Maggie Q.
Collider now shares a new update on Ballard, revealing that Connelly recently confirmed during a book club livestream that filming on the spinoff would be completed this week. The author also shared enthusiastic words about Maggie Q's portrayal of the eponymous detective, suggesting that the spinoff is in great shape. Check out Connelly's comment below:
“She is Ballard. Like in the book, she has confrontations with superiors, mostly male, and she gets it and makes it work. There's a physicality to her that works. We got a winner."
Maggie Q is best known for her roles in movies like Mission: Impossible 3 (2006), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), and The Protégé (2021).
What The Ballard Spinoff Means For The Show's Release Timeline
When The Spinoff Could Release
As of writing, the Ballard spinoff doesn't have an official release date. Bosch: Legacy season 3 doesn't have a specific date yet either, but it has been confirmed to premiere in March of next year. If season 3 has 10 episodes like its predecessor and follows a similar release pattern, with two episodes arriving per week, it is likely to conclude its run in April or May. It's possible that a Ballard trailer will arrive before Bosch: Legacy concludes, but it seems more likely that marketing for the spinoff won't kick off until after the season 3 finale.
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In order to maintain momentum from the season 3 finale and Ballard's introduction, the spinoff could premiere next summer. As seen in the synopsis below, Bosch himself will be appearing in the spinoff in a supporting capacity. The two shows, then, could be connected narratively in terms of where one ends and the other begins, further suggesting that the wait between the shows won't be too long.
The Prime Video spinoff follows Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q), who is tasked with running the LAPD's new cold case division—a poorly funded, all-volunteer unit with the largest caseload in the city. Ballard approaches these frozen-in-time cases with empathy and determination. When she uncovers a larger conspiracy during her investigations, she'll lean on the assistance of her retired ally, Harry Bosch, to navigate the dangers that threaten both her unit and her life.
Our Take On Ballard's Filming Update
The Spinoff Has Big Shoes To Fill
Bosch: Legacy has been a remarkably well-received show, boasting 100% scores on Rotten Tomatoes for both season 1 and season 2. If season 3 continues this same trend and is a hit, it will put a lot of pressure on Ballard to succeed, as the two shows will obviously be sharing much of the same audience.
Though a Ballard trailer is likely quite a ways off, one official image (above the previous heading) has been released, showing Maggie Q in character next to Welliver. With filming set to be completed in the near future, more images and a poster could also be arriving for Ballard over the next few weeks.
Source: Collider