Nathan Fillion has confirmed filming details for the upcoming ninth season of ABC's police procedural *The Rookie*, speaking alongside the cast at a San Diego Comic-Con panel. The show, which first aired in 2018 and has released a new season annually since, was renewed for Season 9 earlier this year, though it is expected to have fewer episodes than previous instalments. The update matters to fans as it confirms production is already under way, alongside news of a forthcoming spin-off.

Series creator Alexi Hawley told Collider that Season 9 "started filming on Tuesday this last week," and that the new spin-off, *The Rookie: North*, begins shooting in a few weeks' time in August. Fillion, who plays Officer John Nolan and has become widely known for his work with James Gunn in the DCU (including *Superman*, *Peacemaker* Season 2 and the upcoming HBO series *Lanterns*), said he personally starts working on Season 4 of his role the following Monday.