Alexi Hawley, creator, executive producer and showrunner of The Rookie franchise, has extended his overall deal with the lead studio behind the hit ABC cop series and its upcoming spinoff, Lionsgate Television.
The new multi-year pact comes on the heels of ABC renewing Hawley’s mothership The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion, for a ninth season and picking up spinoff pilot The Rookie: North, starring Jay Ellis, to series in April and May, respectively.
Under the extension, Hawley will continue to develop and produce scripted television series exclusively for the indie studio. That includes Hawley’s hostage-recovery drama series The Envoy, which is in development at HBO Max. Originally set up at Hulu in August 2024, the project was put into turnaround, landing at HBO Max this past spring.
This marks Hawley’s fourth consecutive overall deal across Lionsgate Television and predecessor eOne, which originally produced The Rookie alongside ABC Signature (now 20th Television). Following eOne’s acquisition by Lionsgate Television, the latter in 2024 moved in to retain the prolific creator with a premium overall pact while cutting 70% of the combined company’s overall and first-look deals.
Since then, the flagship Rookie series has continued to defy its age with strong viewership, especially on streaming, generating more than 12.8 billion minutes of viewing domestically in the first half of 2026. Hawley serves as creator, executive producer and showrunner on The Rookie and spinoff The Rookie: North, both set to premiere on ABC and Hulu in early 2027.
“Alexi has built The Rookie into one of broadcast television’s strongest and most enduring franchises, with a flagship series that continues to grow and a compelling new chapter on the horizon with The Rookie: North,” said Kevin Beggs, Chair & Chief Creative Officer, Lionsgate Television Group. “He has a remarkable ability to create characters and stories that resonate with audiences year after year and bring a new generation of viewers into the franchise. We’re excited to continue our partnership as we grow The Rookie franchise and bring Alexi’s new projects to the screen.”
Created by Hawley, The Envoy is inspired by journalist and producer Adam Ciralsky’s June 2024 Vanity Fair article about Roger Carstens and his team at the State Department who brought home 70 American hostages during his four-year tenure as Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. The series is executive produced by Hawley, P3 Media’s Adam Ciralsky & Gene Klein, as well as Roger Carstens.
“I’m thrilled to continue my partnership with Lionsgate Television,” Hawley said. “They’ve been an invaluable creative partner and a strong champion of my work. I’m drawn to stories that are propulsive and entertaining, while still grounded in deeply human characters and real emotional stakes. I look forward to continuing to build on our work together while bringing new ideas and ambitious stories to the studio in the years ahead.”
Under his deal at eOne, Hawley also created, executive produced and showran spinoff series The Rookie: Feds, starring Niecy Nash, which ran on ABC for one season, and the Netflix spy thriller The Recruit, whose second and final season launched shortly after the Lionsgate-eOne merger.
Hawley is repped by The Shuman Company and Hansen Jacobsen Teller.
English (US) ·