New ‘SWAT’ Spinoff Starring Shemar Moore Greenlit At Sony Pictures TV

The studio behind SWAT — and the show’s lead actor — are taking another shot at keeping the franchise going.

Sony Pictures Television has greenlit a spinoff of the crime procedural titled SWAT Exiles. Like the recently ended CBS series, Exiles will star Shemar Moore, reprising his role as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson as he works with a team of young recruits. Sony will also distribute the series worldwide and will shop it to potential buyers in the near future.

The studio made the announcement Sunday evening at its annual L.A. Screenings event.

“We are thrilled to usher this beloved franchise into a new era with SWAT Exiles,” said Sony Pictures TV chairman Keith Le Goy said in a statement. “We believe in championing powerful storytelling and in our teams’ exceptional ability to create and deliver these stories to audiences around the world. This belief is embedded in our DNA and central to every decision we make.”

Jason Ning (The Brothers Sun, Mrs. Davis) will be the showrunner on the spinoff as part of a recently renewed overall deal with Sony (Ning is also working on the studio’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon series, which is in development for Amazon’s Prime Video, with Ron Moore). Ning will executive produce SWAT Exiles with SWAT EPs Shemar Moore, Neal H. Moritz, and Pavun Shetty of Original Film, and James Scura.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with Sony to bring SWAT Exiles to life,” said Ning. “It’s an incredible honor to carry forward the legacy of a show that fans around the world have come to love. Working with Shemar Moore, who defines what it means to be a leading man, and introducing a new generation of characters into this world is a dream.”

Sony has ordered 10 episodes of Exiles, with development going on now. The studio hopes to begin production in the summer in Los Angeles, noting that the spinoff will keep about 200 members of SWAT’s L.A.-based crew employed.

“My eight seasons on SWAT have been epic and memorable. We entertained the world, defied the odds, came back from the dead twice, and continued to woo fans and families worldwide,” said Moore. “I am excited for this next generation and iteration of SWAT with Sony. [Sony Pictures TV Studios president] Katherine Pope, Neal H. Moritz, Jason Ning and I will keep the franchise, thrill ride action, heartfelt drama and storytelling of SWAT alive.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the next chapter of SWAT to life — both for our incredibly dedicated fans of the original franchise and for a new generation of viewers,” added Pope. “We’re grateful to our incredible partners Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Jason Ning and Shemar Moore for embarking on this journey with us. This team’s commitment to the global fan base, to our beloved crew and to our city runs deep.”

The spinoff announcement comes just two days after SWAT concluded after eight seasons on CBS. The network initially canceled the series after its sixth season in 2023, then reversed course and renewed SWAT for what was billed as a seventh and final season. CBS then changed its mind again and ordered an eighth season before canceling the show for a second time in March. Seasons one through seven of SWAT stream on Netflix, while the just-finished eighth season is on CBS’ sibling streamer Paramount+.

Here is Sony’s description of SWAT Exiles: “After a high-profile mission goes sideways, Daniel ‘Hondo’ Harrelson is pulled out of forced retirement to lead a last-chance, experimental SWAT 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.”

After CBS announced SWAT’s cancellation in March, Moore said in an Instagram video that he wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the show — and called out potential new homes for the series: “Hey, Netflix, how you doing?” Moore said. “Netflix, if you’re interested in a show that is in autopilot that the world is watching, we’d love to come play. NBC, Fox, ABC, hey, you want to come flirt with me? You’re invited to the barbecue. Pick your favorite restaurant. I will pay the bill.”

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ To End With Season 5, And Adds Shameik Moore To The Cast

Power Book III: Raising Kanan season four just came to a close, but the previously announced season five is around the corner. To that end, we’ve got some good news and some bad news.

The good: Shameik Moore has been cast as Branford “Breeze” Frady. The fans have been waiting on that one.

The bad: Power Book III: Raising Kanan season five will be its last.

OK maybe it’s not so bad; showrunner Sascha Penn says this was “always” his “intention.”

“It was always my intention that Raising Kanan would run for five seasons, and thanks to my friends and partners at Starz and Lionsgate, as well as the incredible cast, crew and writing staff, I’ve been able to tell the entirety of the story I set out to tell way back in 2019,” Penn said. “Having said that, with the table we’ve set in this season finale and the inevitable introduction of Breeze, there is still an exceptionally intense and action-packed season left for the viewers to experience, and I assure you that the stakes for Kanan and the entire Thomas family have never been higher.”

“I’m very proud of this series,” he continued, “and grateful that we’ve been able to see it through to what is an incredibly explosive and satisfying conclusion for the unbelievably loyal fans of the Power Universe.”

Moore is pretty excited for it too.

“The Power Universe fans have been patiently anticipating this moment and I’m honored to step into the iconic role of Breeze,” he said in a statement. “I jumped into a story that is already alive with such strong characters, but it was a fun challenge to find Breeze’s unique identity, and I can’t wait for fans to see how Breeze will shift dynamics in the story. It’s gonna be a wild ride.”

The name of Moore’s character, a drug kingpin from Jamaica, Queens, has been out there in said Power universe since the very first season of the OG Power back in 2014. We learned back then that a young Kanan Stark worked for the mysterious Breeze, as did James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) and Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora). Well, in the season four finale of prequel series Raising Kanan, our young Kanan (MeKai Curtis) finally meets Breeze through street legends (and Kanan’s aunt and uncle) Snaps (Wendell Pierce) and Pop (Erika Woods).

Season four of Raising Kanan found Kanan reluctantly entering into a truce with his mother, drug queenpin Raquel “Raq” Thomas (Patina Miller).

“With Unique (Joey Bada$$) back from the dead and pulling strings from the shadows, the hesitant trust between mother and son didn’t last long, and their volatile relationship was tested once again, leading to another dramatic showdown in the season finale,” in Starz’s words.

In addition to Miller, Curtis, Bada$$, Pierce, and Woods, Power Book III: Raising Kanan stars London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Hailey Kilgor,e and Tony Danza. 

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is the second Power spinoff, behind only Power Book II: Ghost. Courtney A. Kemp created the original Power with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Mark Canton. Along with those three, Chris Selak and Kevin Fox also serve as executive producers on the franchise. Lionsgate Television produces Power Book III: Raising Kanan for Starz.

BET Awards 2025: First Wave of Performers Announced

BET announced that “BET Awards” 2025 keeps getting BIGGER with the first slate of performers set to hit the stage. “We’re setting the tone for a night that celebrates 25 years of impact, creativity, and Black culture,” said Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET. “With electrifying performances from some of the biggest names in music and an iconic comedic host, ‘BET Awards’ 2025 will be a can’t-miss celebration of everything the culture represents.”

As previously announced, legendary comedian, actor, producer, and global box office sensation Kevin Hart will bring his signature energy and humor as host of “BET Awards” 2025.

Kendrick Lamar leads “BET Awards” 2025 nominations with ten, Doechii, Drake, Future, and GloRilla are tied with six nominations, Metro Boomin earned five nominations, and SZA and The Weeknd are tied with four nominations each. 

BET also previously announced that it will celebrate the 25th anniversary of legendary music video countdown show 106 & Park with a must-see tribute, and creative directed by Teyana Taylor and The Aunties Production, Beloved former hosts AJ Calloway, Free Marie Wright, Julissa Bermudez, Keshia Chanté, Rocsi Diaz, and Terrence J will reunite on stage for a nostalgic celebration. The tribute will feature timeline-shattering performances from previous host and Mr. 106 & Park, Bow Wow, Amerie, B2K, Jim Jones, Mya, T.I., and more, bringing back the culture-defining energy, music and moments of the history-making franchise.

Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, serves as the Executive Producer for “BET Awards” 2025, with Jamal Noisette, SVP of Tentpoles & Music Community Engagement, for BET. Jesse Collins Entertainment is the production company for the show, with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay also serving as Executive Producers.

Expect more exciting announcements, including more performers, honorees, and more. Additionally, Culture’s Biggest Week returns with BET Experience 2025 (BETX)—four days of immersive fan-focused events from Thursday, June 5, through Sunday, June 8, ahead of the “BET Awards” 2025.