The NCIS universe is expanding further with the revelation of a new spin-off that will showcase the beloved characters Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David. Michael Weatherly, the actor portraying Tony, has been dropping tantalizing hints to fans, suggesting excitement and surprises awaiting them in the forthcoming series.
The NCIS universe is set to grow even larger with the announcement of a new spin-off featuring beloved characters Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David. Michael Weatherly, who portrays Tony, has been teasing fans with hints of excitement and surprises to come in the upcoming series. Following last week’s revelation of the “Young Gibbs” prequel, NCIS Origins, the news of Tony and Ziva’s reunion on screen in a spin-off titled NCIS: Europe has generated considerable enthusiasm among the show’s dedicated fan base.
Fans have long awaited the on-screen reunion of Tony and Ziva, portrayed by Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, respectively. The characters, integral to the main NCIS series for several seasons, will share screen time for the first time in a decade in NCIS: Europe. The news of their return promises to evoke a strong response from the crime franchise’s dedicated fandom.
According to a report by Movieweb, Michael Weatherly, known for keeping fans engaged with his X/Twitter account, responded to a fan’s GIF images with comments that stirred anticipation. Expressing his excitement about the new spin-off, Weatherly stated, “NCIS has a great world to explore… And I cannot wait to be working with so many amazing people on this project. We will make it the very best it can be!” When questioned about what he was looking forward to the most, Weatherly playfully teased, “Probably seeing [what] a Tony/Ziva offspring looks like? And then working with John McNamara and team. And btw – there are MORE surprises coming very soon! Hahahaha! Aha!”
Penned by John McNamara, acclaimed for his work on The Magicians and Trumbo, NCIS: Europe is slated for a ten-episode season. The storyline follows Tony and Ziva as they embark on a journey across Europe with their daughter, Tali. Set after their reunion in Paris, the series delves into their family life, disrupted when Tony’s security company faces an attack. Forced to go on the run, they traverse the continent, unraveling the mystery behind the assault and striving to reclaim the happiness they had found.
While Weatherly’s teasing has sparked curiosity, fans will have to wait patiently for NCIS: Europe to grace their screens on Paramount+. Filming is expected to commence later this year, hinting at a potential 2025 release. In the interim, Mark Harmon is set to return as the narrator for NCIS: Origins, the Gibbs-focused prequel scheduled to premiere in September 2024.
“Tiva” is back. CBS Studios is expanding its ever-growing NCIS franchise by bringing back two fan-favorite characters from the mothership series, Tony DiNozzo, played by Michael Weatherly, and Ziva David, portrayed by Cote de Pablo, who will reunite on screen for the first time in 10 years. Paramount+ has given a 10-episode series order to the untitled spinoff headlined by Weatherly and de Pablo and written by John McNamara (Trumbo, The Magicians). All three executive produce.
Nicknamed NCIS: Europe, the new action-packed spinoff, set to start production later this year, will follow Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (de Pablo) as they find themselves on the run across the continent.
NCIS is one of CBS Studios’ most valuable franchises and its expansion has been a goal for the studio. This is one of two new NCIS offshoots greenlighted this year, along with the Young Gibbs prequel series for CBS, NCIS: Origins. It is also the second extension of the NCIS franchise beyond the U.S., following NCIS: Sydney, which has been airing on CBS in the U.S.
After Ziva’s (de Pablo) supposed death, Tony (Weatherly) left the NCIS team to go raise their daughter. Years later, Ziva was discovered alive, leading her to complete one final mission with NCIS before she was reunited with Tony and their daughter in Paris. Since then – and where we find them in the new Paramount+ original series – Tony and Ziva have been raising their daughter, Tali, together. When Tony’s security company is attacked, they must go on the run across Europe, trying to figure out who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so that they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after.
“We’ve been talking about this story for many years, and now with John McNamara at the helm, we are ready,” Weatherly and de Pablo said. “The world of Tony and Ziva (and daughter Tali) promises to be an action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears and laughter. We also want to acknowledge and thank the fans from around the world who supported the ‘Tiva’ movement for years. To this day, they say hello in grocery stores and on the street to tell us how much these characters mean to them and ask what Tony and Ziva are up to now. This is for you!”
Weatherly hinted at a potential ‘Tiva’ reunion last month when his New Year’s tweet, “It’s time to look at time and enjoy the moment!” prompted a fan to respond, “We all would rather look at you and Ziva reuniting.” Weatherly highlighted the comment, adding, “Stay tuned… for this might be an interesting year for such ‘moments’!” He further fueled speculation this week by responding to a fan tweet lamenting about him and de Pablo, “miss the chemistry and magic you both create,” with the cryptic, “the universe works in mysterious ways…”
De Pablo, Weatherly and McNamara executive produce the spinoff series with Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain and Shelley Meals. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
“I’m incredibly excited to step into the NCIS universe with Cote and Michael and thrilled to explore it from a few new angles,” McNamara said. “Given that the franchise is such a global sensation, I think it’s phenomenal that CBS Studios and Paramount+ have given us the greenlight to shoot in Europe. As to the title of this series, if I told you what it is, I’d be violating the Espionage Act.”
Weatherly, an original NCIS cast member, had been with the series since its launch in 2003. He left after 13 seasons and went on to headline another CBS/CBS Studios drama, Bull. Speculation about his potential return to the NCIS franchise picked up after Bull ended its run last spring. He recently did a surprise cameo in the Ducky tribute episode of the mothership series.
De Pablo joined NCIS in Season 3. She appeared in Seasons 3 through 10 and exited the series early in Season 11. In the Season 13 finale, it was revealed that Ziva apparently had died in an explosion in Israel. She returned three years later in 2019, where it was revealed she was alive and had gone into hiding. She made a surprise unannounced return in the last scene of the season 16 finale, which aired on May 21, 2019, in which Ziva arrives at Gibbs’ basement to warn him that his life is in danger. She later appeared in the first two episodes of the show’s 17th season and in that season’s 10th and 11th episodes as part of her storyline.
Weatherly, repped by Anonymous Content, Verve, and McKuin Frankel Whitehead, and de Pablo, repped by UTA and Entertainment 360, have remained close off-screen. In 2018, they teamed up to executive produce detective drama MIA, which was set up at CBS.
Twenty-one seasons in — currently ranking as the third-longest-running U.S. primetime drama — the mothership NCIS series remains the most watched non-sports program on broadcast. A big global seller, which once ranked as the most watched drama in the world, the venerable procedural has spawned three spinoffs in the U.S., NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans as well as NCIS: Hawai’i, which kicked off its fourth season. The franchise recently went international with its first non-American offshoot, NCIS: Sydney, which also has done very well in the U.S., ranking as the most watched new series of the fall.
Veteran showrunner McNamara most recently served as an executive producer on the Apple TV+ series Physical and prior to that co-created and executive produced Syfy’s The Magicians.
Source: Movieweb, CBS Studios
