Michael Weatherly is gearing up to return to the NCIS universe following his surprise cameo in the flagship show earlier this season for the Ducky tribute episode. However, rather than stopping by his old stomping grounds again, Weatherly is set to reprise Tony DiNozzo in a spinoff series co-starring Ziva David actress Cote de Pablo and streaming exclusively to Paramount+ subscribers. With production is set to begin in just a few months, Weatherly shared that he’s getting ready for it with some new dapper fashion choices that personify the spinoff’s setting.
It was previously reported that this NCIS spinoff, which will follow Tony and Ziva on the run in Europe following the former’s security company being attacked, will roll cameras later this year. Now we know it’ll be a summer shoot, as evidenced by the below Instagram video that Weatherly posted:
Like NCIS: Sydney (which has been renewed for Season 2), this spinoff will take the franchise into international territory, so it’s only appropriate that Michael Weatherly don some clothes that not only look good on him, but are also good choices if one’s going to be going on a jaunt through Europe. To be clear, NCIS: Europe is not this show’s official title, although I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s ultimately what’s chosen given the premise. Either way, here’s hoping that Tony ends up wearing similar-looking threads as he and Ziva are trying to figure out who’s after them.
In addition to reprising their respective roles, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo (whom evidently will be appearing on NCIS again) are executive producing the series alongside showrunner John McNamara, who wrote the first episode. Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain and Shelley Meals are also attached as executive producers for the spinoff, which has scored a 10-episode order. As previously mentioned, this will be the first NCIS show not to air on CBS first in the United States, which CBS and Paramount+ executive George Cheeks attributes to this feeling more like a “serialized streaming show,” and thus being a better fit for the latter platform.
This Tony and Ziva show is one of two NCIS spinoffs coming up, the other being NCIS: Origins, which will follow Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 1991 and, like the current NCIS shows, will be a CBS offering. As for why Tony and Ziva are getting their own show, CBS Studios President David Stapf said it was because these two make “one of the most unrequited love stories for the audience,” and it was felt that they “left too soon.” Cote de Pablo exited NCIS as a series regular at the beginning of Season 11, and while it was originally believed that she died in the Season 13 finale, which is when Michael Weatherly left, she was revealed to be alive in the Season 16 finale and recurred throughout Season 17.
Keep an eye out on CinemaBlend for more updates on the Tony and Ziva spinoff, including what it will be called and who will join Weatherly and de Pablo in the main cast. You can also browse through the 2024 TV schedule to see what’s airing now or will be in the coming months.
