In February 2024, the spin-off program returns to television. Jason Antoon, star of NCIS: Hawaii, has thrilled fans by revealing that the highly anticipated third season of the popular CBS spin-off series is currently in production. The actor posted a selfie he took outside Hawaii Film Studios—which is used to film interior shots and situations requiring a sound stage—on social media platform X.
Jason, real name Ernie Malik, wrote in the caption, “#NCISHawaii #Season3 is starting.”
Fans of the show were over the moon with the announcement and shared their delight in the comments section. One delighted viewer wrote: “YAYYYYY LETS GOOOO,” while another remarked: “Yessss finally.”
While Jason’s post seems to suggest that filming has already commenced, his co-star Noah Mills, who plays Jesse Boone, previously revealed that shooting was scheduled to begin on December 4.
“It’s all pretty quick now, I think. Tentative like Dec. 4,” he told Entertainment Tonight earlier this month. “We start shooting, and you know we have such a great crew and such a good machine over there going from the first two seasons that we can be up pretty quick.”
Considering Noah gave an uncertain date, it’s very possible that filming started a little earlier than planned.
For those who have been patiently waiting for developments on season three of the program since the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, Jason’s announcement has been long overdue.
The earlier this year writer and actor strikes caused production on both the show and its flagship program NCIS to be delayed.
The SAG-AFTRA strike ran from July to November, although the Writers Guild of America strike concluded in late September, having lasted for over four months. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which covers networks like CBS, ABC, and NBC as well as Hollywood companies like Disney, Netflix, Amazon, and Apple, was able to come to an agreement with both unions.
Following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, CBS finally announced the release dates for the 21st season of NCIS and the third season of NCIS: Hawai’i. Both shows will return next year on February 12, with the former airing at 9pm and the latter at 10pm.
The news was shared on the official NCISverse Instagram page in a statement that read: “The countdown starts NOW — #NCIS Season 21 and #NCISHawaii Season 3 premiere February 12 on @cbstv. We can’t wait to see you there!”
NCIS: Hawai’i has been a huge hit amongst the franchise’s fanbase ever since it premiered back in 2021.
For those who are unfamiliar with the spin-off, it follows a fictional team of Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel and national security. Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) leads the NCIS Pearl Harbor team as they balance duty to their family and country.
Vanessa leads the cast as the first female lead in the franchise, appearing with Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman, Jason Antoon as Ernie Malik, Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara, Noah Mills as Jesse Boone, Tori Anderson as Kate Whistler and Kian Talan as Alex Tennant.
In the third season of the show, LL Cool J, star of NCIS: Los Angeles, will join the cast as a recurrent co-star. The season two finale of the show, which aired in May, featured the actor in his first appearance as Sam Hanna. NCIS: Los Angeles was canceled after 14 seasons, leading to his new job.