“The Rookie” creator Alexi Hawley has sealed a new, multi-year overall deal with Lionsgate Television — extending a pact he first made with the studio in 2024. The extension continues the writer/producer/showrunner’s work on “The Rookie” franchise while also developing and producing new scripted TV series for Lionsgate.

“The Rookie,” about to enter its Season 9, first launched on ABC in October 2018; at the time, it was produced by eOne Television. Lionsgate has been the show’s studio since Season 6 (2024), after its acquisition of eOne studio assets. “The Rookie” previously spawned the spinoff “The Rookie: Feds,” and now has the upcoming ABC spinoff “The Rookie: North,” starring Jay Ellis, coming next season.

Hawley serves as showrunner on both “The Rookie” and “The Rookie: North.” Next up, he’s developing “The Envoy” for HBO Max, from Lionsgate TV. The show, adapted from a Vanity Fair article by Adam Ciralsky, was previously set up at Hulu.

Ciralsky is also an exec producer on the show, which looks at “Roger Carstens and his team at the State Department who brought home 70 American hostages during his four-year tenure as Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. The article details an in-depth look at the U.S. government’s commitment to freeing hostages.”

Hawley is an EP on “The Envoy” with Carstens also serving as an executive producer. Ciralsky is an EP through his P3 Media banner, with Gene Klein an EP as well.

“Alexi has built ‘The Rookie’ into one of broadcast television’s strongest and most enduring franchises, with a flagship series that continues to grow and a compelling new chapter on the horizon with ‘The Rookie: North,’” said Lionsgate TV Group chair/chief creative officer Kevin Beggs in a statement. “He has a remarkable ability to create characters and stories that resonate with audiences year after year and bring a new generation of viewers into the franchise. We’re excited to continue our partnership as we grow ‘The Rookie’ franchise and bring Alexi’s new projects to the screen.”

Hawley’s past projects with Lionsgate include Netflix’s spy thriller “The Recruit,” starring Noah Centineo, which ran for two seasons on the streamer. (Ciralsky was an EP with Hawley on that series too.)

In a statement, Hawley called Lionsgate “an invaluable creative partner and a strong champion of my work. I’m drawn to stories that are propulsive and entertaining, while still grounded in deeply human characters and real emotional stakes. I look forward to continuing to build on our work together while bringing new ideas and ambitious stories to the studio in the years ahead.” 

Hawley is repped by The Shuman Company and Hansen Jacobsen Teller.