NCIS: Hawai'i star Jason Antoon has delighted fans with the exciting news that filming has begun on the upcoming third season of the hit CBS spin-off show.
Taking to the social media platform X, the actor shared a selfie taken outside of Hawaii Film Studios, which is used to film interior shots and scenes that require a sound stage.
In the caption, Jason – aka Ernie Malik – penned: "It's beginning #NCISHawaii #Season3."
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.
Jason's announcement has been a long time coming for viewers of the show, who have been patiently waiting for updates on season three following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Production on the show, as well as its flagship program NCIS, was delayed due to the writers and actors strikes that took place earlier this year.
While the Writers Guild of America strike ended in late September after more than four months, the SAG-AFTRA strike lasted from July to November. Both unions managed to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Hollywood studios such as Disney, Netflix, Amazon and Apple, as well as networks including CBS, ABC and NBC.
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, starring alongside 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.
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The show will welcome a new addition to the cast in season three as NCIS: Los Angeles star LL Cool J has joined as a recurring co-star. The actor, who plays Sam Hanna, first appeared in the show in the season two finale, which aired in May. His new role comes after the cancelation of NCIS: Los Angeles after 14 seasons.